RWE npower Invests £200 million in Scottish Biomass Plant

RWE npower renewables has just announced that they will be partnering with Tullis Russel, a Scottish paper maker, to build a new 50 MW biomass power plant for papermaker. The paper making company will use the biomass-powered facility to generate electricity for their paper mill at Markinch near Fife, Scotland. The biofuel will generate enough energy to provide the facility with heat and power.

The Tullis Russel site’s hold power facility, powered by coal, will be replaced when the new one comes online. The announcement comes after the companies both signed a multi-million pound agreement. RWE npower renewables parent company, RWE Innogy, will be investing roughly £200 million for the facility, and an additional £8.1 million has been granted by the Scottish government for the project.

Construction work will begin on site immediately and spokesman for the two companies have said it should come online sometime during 2012. CEO of Tullis Russel Group, Chris Parr, said that the new power plant will reduce the paper mills carbon footprint by 72 percent. The new biomass fueled plant will significantly boost the company’s standing as an environmentally conscious business. 

The announcement comes in the wake of RWE Innogy announcing a string of investments in renewable energy biomass plants across Europe. By 2013, the major utility will have a total of 390 MW of total installed capacity of biomass generated energy.