NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Kenilworth, Warwickshire, United Kingdom, 06/19/2008 - The Renewable Energy Centre today announced its support for the construction of a 65MWe biomass plant in Lincolnshire.

Permission for the plant was given to Helius Energy, by the Department of Energy, on Monday and the company is looking to initially develop six biomass stations throughout the UK.

The Renewable Energy Centre said today that this was another positive sign that the government is pushing the renewables industry forward and seeking to achieve its 2016 targets. The plant will supply over 100,000 homes with electricity and save around half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

The biomass to be used in the plant will be from timber waste and co-products of cereals and oil to produce steam and energy. Costing an estimated £200 million, the plant could be operational by 2011 and would then serve to significantly add to renewable energy production in the UK. Malcolm Wicks, Energy Minister said “This is another stepping stone towards powering a greener, cleaner UK. Not only does it help tackle climate change and increase secure supplies of energy but the building and running of this biomass plant will also provide jobs in Lincolnshire.”

The Renewable Energy Centre said that it was important for the government to continue to show a proactive policy towards planning approval for renewable energy technologies in order to help speed up time to implementation and production. It stated that many projects such as onshore and offshore wind are hampered by planning delays both at the government and local level but in order to fulfil its obligations the government would need to step up its efforts to meet targets.

Richard Simmons, Managing Director at The Renewable Energy Centre said “This is a definite step forward for the biomass industry and towards our energy targets. It is absolutely critical that these projects and many more like them currently at application stage get the go ahead. The UK is very well placed to be a world leader for many of renewable technologies and advancements are being made. However, time is now becoming one of the major issues for the renewable energy sector and in order to keep the industry moving forward it is essential the government gives its backing and has a clear policy in order to lead local councils in bringing projects and planning applications to fruition.”

The Renewable Energy Centre concluded by saying that it was imperative for the government to maintain momentum in promoting the renewable energy sector and that a continued policy of approval was essential for projects which would provide long term viable solutions to the UK’s energy supply.

Agency / Source: The Renewable Energy Centre UK

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