Morgan Credit Energy Wales wins planning approval to double capacity of proposed Llynfi, Wales, wood-fueled biomass energy plant to 300,000 tonnes/year

Audrey Dixon

LOS ANGELES , January 23, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) –

Morgan Credit Energy Wales Ltd. (MCE) won council planning approval in Bridgend, Wales, last week to more than double the capacity of its proposed wood-fueled power plant in Llynfi Valley, the Glamorgan Gazette reported Jan. 19.

The Somerset, England-based company will transport up to 800 tonnes a day of woodchips to operate the 300,000 tonnes/year power plant, once it opens in 2014.

However, if a proposed rail link is not in place by then, only 26 return truck-trips a day of fuel will be allowed to the plant, limiting it to 50% capacity until the link becomes operational, reported the Glamorgan Gazette.

MCE plans to ship the woodchips from Latvia into the U.K. at Newport, then move the fuel by rail to the power station, said John Henry Looney, environmental consultant at the hearing last week. Looney is with Sustainable Direction, which represents MCE, the Glamorgan Gazette reported in an Oct. 12 article.

Well before the biomass energy plant begins operating, a new railway siding will be in place from the Llynfi Valley line to the facility, said Looney, the Glamorgan Gazette reported last week.

Council members voted 14-1 to support the controversial MCE application. Increased road traffic lay behind much of the community's concerns.

The former coal-fired Llynfi Power Station closed in 1977.

The primary source of this article is the Glamorgan Gazette, Cardiff, Wales, Jan. 19, 2012.

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