Tees biomass plant wins planning approval

The 49MW facility will be built at Port Clarence, Stockton-on-Tees

A new £160 million biomass power plant is to be built in the Tees Valley after planning permission was granted.

Port Clarence Energy, a new company formed by Eco2 and Temporis Capital for the project, secured planning permission to build and operate the 49MW renewable energy plant on land to the north of the River Tees which has been unused for almost 50 years.

The Stockton-on-Tess-based plant will burn about 325,00 tonnes of waste wood per annum, with the fuel mainly sourced from areas to the south of the site and will be drawn from a variety of sources including construction and demolition sites, civic amenity sites and packaging.

The facility will employ about 200 people during a 30-month construction period, but this is expected to rise to 350 during the peak period when the mechanical and electrical installation takes place. About 50 local full-time jobs will be created when the plant becomes operational.

Plans for a biomass plant on the site have been around for more than five years. Bio Energy Investments secured planning permission for a plant in 2009, but the project collapsed in June 2011 due to a lack of funds.

The Port Clarence development is the largest type of biomass plant that can be approved at local authority level.