Proposed planning for a green power plant within existing Ridham Dock recycling facility
An innovative new project is currently underway as a joint venture between Countrystyle Group, the Kent based recycling company, and North Yorkshire based clean energy specialist, Bioflame, to result in 30,000 tonnes of wood being turned into ‘green’ electricity - providing enough power for over 6,300 homes in Ridham, Kent.
It follows the submission of an application to Kent County Council by the joint venture company “Countrystyle Heat & Power” for the necessary planning permission to construct a small-scale renewable energy generation facility within an existing building at Countrystyle’s recycling site at Ridham Dock in Sittingbourne, Kent.
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been prepared and submitted alongside the application to demonstrate there will be no negative impacts associated with the development. The EIA contains detailed reports and assessments including Noise Impact, Air Quality, Flood Risk, Ecology, Landscape, Transport and the Cumulative Impacts associated with the development.
A decision by Kent County Council on this development is expected in Spring 2010. If the application is successful, a 14 month build program is expected, with the facility exporting electricity to the national grid by Spring 2011. The development represents a private investment of approximately £7 million into the local area which will provide a renewable, reliable, safe and local electricity supply as well as creating long-term employment opportunities to the local area.
Wood brought to Countrystyle’s Ridham facility will be shredded and then thermally treated. Energy produced during this process will then pass through a steam boiler and into a turbine, which will produce 20,000 megawatt hours of clean renewable electricity per annum. The patented Bioflame technology ensures that the system performs to the strictest environmental code for emissions. This electricity will then be fed back into the national grid, providing enough power for over 6,300 homes. By recovering energy from material normally sent to landfill, the development will eliminate 1,500 heavy goods vehicles from the local road network.
The new facility at Ridham will complement the existing recycling activities taking place on the site and is a strategically located site located on the outskirts of Kent, near to the village to Iwade. The facility already offers a range of recycling services including food and green waste processing.
On 21st December, 2009 Countrystyle Group held an open exhibition for local residents and businesses offering an opportunity to review plans of the proposed development and raise any questions or concerns.
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