f Tilbury in Essex could soon be home to the world's biggest Biomass fuel plant, it has been announced.
Plans to convert the existing RNE N Power coal-fired fuel station into a biomass plant have been given the go-ahead by the local council, the Thurrock Gazette reports.
New equipment has to be installed as part of the transition, including the extension and enclosure of a conveyor tower, as well as the addition of new conveyors and dust separators.
Following the decision to allow the changes to be made, the plant could soon generate 750MW of energy solely from wood pellets – nearly three times the amount created by Alholmens Kraft Power Station in Finland, currently the world's largest biomass power station.
"The converted plant is expected to be fully operational towards the end of 2011," a spokesperson for the facility told the newspaper.
However, plans for a new biomass plant in Southampton have been branded "unworkable" by a local MP, as it is too big for its intended location.
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the biomass industry includes:
