Markinch Biomass CHP

RWE npower renewables is working in partnership with papermakers Tullis Russell to supply its plant with steam and electricity from a new, state of the art biomass facility. The plant at Markinch in Fife, will be the biggest of its kind in Scotland.  It will have an installed capacity of 50 megawatts and will replace the existing coal-fired power plant at Tullis Russell.

The Markinch plant will reduce site's carbon footprint by 72%, helping to reduce the annual fossil fuel carbon emissions at the company by 250,000 tonnes per annum.  Around 400,000 tonnes of virgin and recycled wood diverted from landfill will be used to power the plant. 

The development has received the  backing of Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond and  it received £8.1 million support from the Scottish Government’s Regional Selective Assistance grant.  As well as helping to secure over 500 jobs at Tullis Russell the project will create over 50 permanent jobs in the operation of the power plant and new biomass fuel processing facility.  400 further jobs will also be created during the construction phase.

In February 2010 RWE npower renewables announced its key contractors for the £200 million biomass combined heat and power plant. Metso Power will supply a single fluidised bed boiler and gas clean-up system and Aker Solutions will provide engineering, procurement, construction and project management for the project. Both companies have extensive world-wide engineering and technological experience in the field of biomass combined heat and power plant.The power plant is scheduled for operation in late 2012. 

RWE npower renewables has signed a 20 year energy supply contract with Tullis Russell as part of the development.