NRW suspends biomass boiler operations at Chirk site after emissions breach

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has suspended part of the permitted operations at the Kronospan factory near Chirk after monitoring showed emissions had exceeded allowed limits, according to North Wales Live.
Kronospan, one of the largest employers in North Wales, operates a major wood panel manufacturing site on the edge of the town.
While the factory provides hundreds of local jobs, residents have long raised concerns about emissions from the site, which are regulated under an environmental permit.
NRW said recent monitoring data indicated that emission levels were above the limits set out in Kronospan’s permit.
The breach relates specifically to a biomass boiler known as “Boiler K7”, which supplies heat and steam to the manufacturing process.
The boiler is authorised to burn waste wood materials, including bark, cork, sawdust and certain by-products generated on site.
As a result, NRW has suspended the permitted activity linked to the boiler while it investigates the cause of the exceedances.
A spokesperson for NRW said the company is required to regularly monitor emissions and submit the results for review.
“We assess this information to make sure operations remain within the environmentally protective limits specified in the site’s permit,” they said.
“Recent returns have shown these limits have not been met. We have therefore suspended the permitted activity responsible for the emissions. This will remain in place until we are satisfied the site can operate in full compliance.”
Kronospan confirmed it is complying with the suspension and cooperating fully with the investigation. A company spokesperson said: “Kronospan confirms it is complying with the suspension notice issued by Natural Resources Wales relating to a boiler at our Chirk plant. We are fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation and will not be making further comment while this process continues.”
NRW added that the action had been taken to ensure environmental protections are maintained and that operations only resume once compliance with the permit can be demonstrated.