MGT Power plans second biomass plant in NE

MGT Power announced plans today for a second major biomass facility in the UK’s North East.

The company already has Government approval for a plant at Teesport which will be fuelled by some 2.4 million tonnes of clean wood chip fuel per year and provide up to 295 megawatts of clean energy.

MGT’s second proposed plant, the 295-megawatt Tyne Renewable Energy Plant (Tyne REP), will be built on industrial land owned by the Port of Tyne in North Shields. The £400 million facility is expected to lead to the creation of 600 construction jobs, 150 on-site jobs, 300 – 400 indirect jobs and an annual spend of £30 million in the local economy.

The site forms part of the North Bank of the Tyne regeneration area, which covers 600 hectares from the Walker Riverside Industrial Park in Newcastle to North Shields. It is being delivered by a partnership bringing together North Tyneside Council, Newcastle City Council, and One NorthEast.

“One North East has laid strong foundations for the development of emerging low-carbon industries including renewable energy, electric vehicles, clean process industries and printable electronics,” said Ian Williams, director of business and industry at One North East. “This project is one of the ways in which we believe major renewable schemes, developed right here in the North East, can power the region’s industry.”