Plan for new power plant in Newport (From South Wales Argus)

Plan for new power plant in Newport

5:09pm Sunday 12th February 2012 in Gwent news By Natalie Crockett

A PLANT capable of processing up to 50,000 tonnes of natural waste a year could be built in Newport.

AMP Newport AD wants to build an advanced anaerobic digestion (AD) plant on land next to Traston Road, Lliswerry, creating up to 12 full time jobs.

A screening opinion report has been submitted to the city council ahead of a planning application expected in the coming months.

It says the factory would be built on a 1.5 hectare area of land to include an office, staff facilities, front reception building as well as the processing facility itself.

It would be able to process up to 50,000 tonnes of natural waste a year, including local authority collected food and green waste, out of date food and some purpose-grown crops.

The AD process converts waste into a biogas that will be used on-site to generate around 2.5 mega watts of renewable electricity, as well as biofertiliser products, which can be used on local farms.

The plant would operate 24 hours a day and businesses would be able to drop off waste between the hours of 6am and 8pm Monday to Friday and until 1pm on weekends and bank holidays.

Material would be brought to the factory via heavy goods lorry and it is anticipated there could be up to 24 deliveries a day.

The reports says the proposed development represents a significant investment into the area at a time of economic uncertainty, and will provide employment opportunities, generate renewable electricity, increase recycling rates and produce valuable biofertiliser for local use.

Anaerobic digestion is a natural bacteria process which converts organic material, in the absence of oxygen, into renewable energy in the form of biogas.

There are currently 300 large factories in the UK working on a range of sites including waste water treatments, farms and industrial sites.