Lift for Drax's green fuel drive as Spencer project nears completion

The firm is building the facilities as part of an 80m co-firing project, which will see the power station in Selby burning coal with biomass fuel, which includes wood chips and peanut husks, to create electricity.

C Spencer, which is based in Barrow on Humber in North Lincolnshire, won the 18m contract last year and the project is almost completed.

Once the 400 megawatt plant is up and running, biomass will be delivered to Drax by rail where it will be unloaded to a custom-built underground facility, which allows trains to pass through without stopping, depositing the biomass along the way.

The unloading gear will transfer the material to two storage facilities, known as silos, via a screening machine that removes any oversized contaminants.

Over the last week more than 300 staff have been working to install the bulk storage silos on the site.

Brett Jarman, contracts manager, said: "We are working around the clock at the moment. We've got a 1,000-tonne crane lifting two 120-tonne structural steel penthouses on top of 15-metre tall reinforced concrete storage silos."

The completed structures will enable Drax to store up to 258,000 sq ft of biomass, which it will be able to draw upon when needed.

Andrew Bade, of Drax, said: "This aspect of the biomass co-firing facility has been a challenging, yet extremely rewarding experience.

"By far the biggest achievement has been that the construction work has been undertaken with practically no disruption to our coal deliveries, particularly when you consider that it has entailed a 10-metre-deep excavation beneath the existing railway line.

"Throughout, we have worked closely with Spencer, three train operating companies and Network Rail to ensure that trains could continue to run safely."

Spencer also won a 14m contract to build a rail loading facility at the Port of Tyne to enable biomass to be transferred from ship to train for transport to Drax.

The new co-firing plant is expected to put the region at the forefront of renewable power production but last month Drax said it was suspending its plans to burn biomass because of the lack of Government support.

The plant is due to come on stream in mid-2010 but the firm said it will not be used to its full capacity because it remains significantly cheaper to burn coal on its own.

There is also doubt over its 2bn plans for three biomass plants in the region, which it warned could be moved abroad if it did not receive Government support.

Biomass plants currently only have subsidy levels guaranteed up to 2013 – unlike other forms of renewable energy such as wind, which have certainty for 20 years.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is reviewing the subsidy regime on biomass and is expected to make a statement by the end of March.

An improved subsidy regime is likely as biomass is forecast to provide almost a third of the 15 per cent of UK energy needs due to come from renewable sources by 2020 under Government targets.

Charlie Spencer, chairman of C Spencer, said: "I am confident that eventually the Government will do what is necessary to incentivise the uptake of this technology.

"However, whilst the Government is making its mind up schemes are getting delayed and in many cases shelved throughout the country.

"This is having a severe economic effect, particularly in the Yorkshire region where we are at the forefront of renewable technologies and regard this as an important growth sector for the creation of jobs and wealth.

"This scheme alone has employed up to 300 people on site during construction and as many off site in the supply chain, not to mention the obvious green benefits to the use of biomass."

Work at the rail unloading facility is due to be completed by the middle of the year.

Company's bridge work

C Spencer has secured a con-tract to help reduce corrosion on the Humber Bridge.

The firm will install a dehumidification system, designed by Sheffield-based design engineers Eadon Consulting, on the main cables of the bridge.

The 6.5m project is due to start this month and finish in summer 2011.

The cables will be heat-sealed in a polymer wrap to enable dehumidified air to be pumped through to reduce moisture levels.

They will be regularly checked to monitor the degree of dehumidification achieved.

Workers will gain access to the main cables using movable platforms, also designed by Eadon Consulting, which were also used to complete contracts on the Forth Road Bridge and the M48 Severn Bridge.