Wood from Dorset recycling centres to provide electricity for German homes and businesses (posted 27/09/2007)A huge mountain of wood chippings from Dorset is to be shipped to mainland Europe where it will be used to provide energy to power homes and businesses in Germany.
Work on moving the 2,000 tonnes of chippings from Eco Composting’s 13-acre site at Parley, on the outskirts of Bournemouth International Airport, got underway this week.
Waste management specialist SITA UK has worked closely with Eco, its sub-contractor, and Gloucestershire-based company Boomeco to find a ‘green friendly’ solution for the disposal of the wood.
The wood comes from household recycling centres across Dorset which are operated by SITA UK on behalf of local councils.
The chippings, equivalent to about 100 truckloads, are being taken to Southampton Docks ready for shipment to Europe. On arrival in Germany the wood will be transferred to a biomass plant in the north of the country for burning, generating electricity for homes and businesses.
Biomass plants were highlighted in last year’s Stern Report on Global Warming as a way of tackling climate change. They burn wood products but in a way that is carbon neutral and, therefore, does not contribute towards global warming.
Eco Composting has officially submitted a planning application to build a £7 million biomass plant on its existing composting and wood recycling site at Parley. If approved it would be one of the first facilities of its type in the UK.
The 25,000 tonne capacity facility would be capable of generating 2.7MW of electricity a year. The electricity would be sent to the National Grid at nearby Redhill and be enough to power about 5,000 local homes.
Andy Hill, Eco’s Sales and Marketing Director, said: “SITA UK, Eco and Boomeco have worked hard on finding a safe and environmentally friendly solution to the disposal of this wood. It’s good news that it will be used to provide clean and green energy for homes and businesses.
“Of course, it would be even better news if the wood chippings were to remain on our site and used to provide power for Dorset homes. To date, our plans have met with great support and we’re hopeful planning permission will be granted.
“Currently there is only one other biomass plant operating in the UK although a number are in the pipeline and they have been operating in Europe for five years. They make environmental, and economic, sense,”
Eco estimate that the wood chippings being shipped to Germany would provide power for about 5,000 homes for six weeks. If permission is granted, Eco’s biomass plant could be up and running by 2009.
ENDS
Picture caption: Green friendly solution: Andy Hill, Eco’s Sales and Marketing Director, with some of the wood chippings which are bound for Germany.
Editor’s Note: Founded in 1994, Eco Composting is one of the UK’s leading organics recycling firms, annually processing 120,000 tonnes of material on its 14-acre site at Parley, Dorset. End products include turf, enriched topsoil, compost and woodchip. Eco employs 29 staff and recorded a £3.5m turnover in the year to December 31, 2006.
For more information please contact Trelawney Dampney, Managing Director, or Andy Hill, Sales and Marketing Director, Eco Composting, on 01202 593601 or Andrew Diprose, PR Account Director, Deep South Media on 01202 534487.
