Firm submits plan for £200m waste power plant at colliery

Yesterday it was confirmed that Peel Environmental has submitted a planning application to North Yorkshire County Council for an energy centre at Kellingley Colliery, near Beal, North Yorkshire, which would see up to 280,000 tonnes of waste a year treated on the site.

The proposed Southmoor Energy Centre would be capable of producing enough electricity to power 63,000 homes and could provide a low cost, stable supply to Kellingley Colliery and other nearby businesses.

Some are worried about the extra traffic the plant will bring to the area –` but last night Peel said it had carried out studies which showed the rail network would be able to transport some of the waste.

Last year public talks were held on the proposals for the Southmoor Energy Centre ahead of an application being submitted.

Development manager for Peel Environmental Richard Barker said: “Feedback from our pre-application consultation with the local community has helped shape our proposals, which has included carrying out feasibility studies into the use of rail and canal for the transportation of fuel to the energy centre.

“The rail study was particularly positive, and shows that up to 170,000 tonnes of waste could be transported to the facility by rail without impacting on the existing network.

“If approved, the scheme will provide a number of benefits including the operation of an efficient combined heat and power system, which will use waste as a fuel to release energy.

“It will use up to 280,000 tonnes per year of non-hazardous residual waste including industrial, commercial and possibly household from across the region, diverting it from landfill and producing renewable energy. This would help to contribute to Government targets, complementing coal, gas and other renewable sources as part of the UK’s energy mix and diverting the waste from landfill.”

If built, the energy centre could also reduce operating costs at the colliery. Work associated with the project could also result in efficiency and environmental improvements.

The scheme, which is entirely privately funded, will also make use of existing industrial land, good local transport links and is close to the existing electricity grid.

Up to 38 full time jobs will be created and further positions during the building of the plant.

Kellingley Colliery, in North Yorkshire, and Hatfield Colliery, near Doncaster, are the region‘s last remaining deep mines.

Peel Environmental is seeking to develop a network of waste facilities across the north of England, and is pursuing a number of opportunities in the Yorkshire and Humber area including controversial plans to redevelop the former North Selby Mine and turn it into a green energy plant which were recently given the go-ahead by York Council.

More than 360 objections were received to the proposals with campaigners expressing concerns about traffic and fear it would lead to significant noise, odour and traffic pollution for people living in nearby Escrick and other surrounding communities.

Peel Environmental has previously suggested that the North Selby Mine site could be “well-placed” to take waste currently destined to be treated at a stalled waste incinerator site.

The Government stunned York Council and North Yorkshire County Council when it announced in February that it was pulling the plug on funding for a planned waste incinerator site at Allerton Park, near Knaresborough, and both authorities are now examining future options.

But bosses at York Council said in April they did not currently see the North Selby Mine proposal, which is being developed separately to the Allerton Park scheme, as an alternative.

Plans for the Kellingley site, now submitted by Peel, will be discusssed by members of North Yorkshire County Council at a later date.