Forth Energy Announces Planned Biomass Plant in Scotland

Forth Energy announced that they plan to construct four biomass plants at different locations around Scotland. Forth Energy, a subsidiary of UK utility Scottish and Southern Energy and Forth Ports, a port operating company based in Edinburgh.

The joint venture company was created by the two energy companies in 2008 to invest in the research and development of renewable energy which could be generated and then put back into the national grid, as well as for use at Forth Ports’ energy facilities.

The projects proposed would have a total energy capacity of 400 MW and would be constructed at four sites in Scotland. The biomass plants could produce heat as well as energy to be used at the port sites owned by Forth Ports which are in the central region of Scotland and Tayside.

The proposed biomass plants are scheduled to be built at sites already owned by Forth Ports. The locations are Dundee, Leith, Rosyth, and Grangemouth. Plans for the plants will be submitted sometime next year.

Forth Energy has stated that the biomass plants would be mostly fueled by wood from the UK’s sustainably run forests. Scottish and Southern Energy currently owns and manages an 80 MW biomass-fueled plant located at Slough in Berkshire. The utility company has recently been expanding its efforts to delve into the renewable energy sector.

Major utility company E.ON also has a biomass plant in Scotland which is currently operational, as well as Wartsila based out of Finland. The push to manufacture biomass energy facilities stems from their ability to receive 1.5 renewables obligation certificates (ROC) per MW hour.

ROCs are issued to approved generators for renewables based energy generated in the UK and then purchased by consumers operating in the UK as well. ROCs are awarded by the UK’s Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets.