PD Ports secures consent for QEII berth redevelopment
PD Ports in the UK has received Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consent from the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) in relation to the QEII berth redevelopment at Teesport. The formal consent together with its associated licences enables PD Ports to proceed with the construction of the new 260m long berth, which is an integral part of MGT Power’ s Tees Renewable Energy Plant development at the Port.
The new berth will accommodate vessels up to 240m long and 38m breadth, thus accommodating the world’s largest woodchip carrier vessels and providing MGT Power with considerable freight flexibility. The berth will bring in the 2.4m tons of woodchip each year required to fuel the new power station.
The 295MW wood fuelled power station is to be built on the South Dock area of Teesport. One of the world’s largest biomass plants, this £500m investment will produce enough carbon neutral, sustainable electricity to power 600,000 homes across the North East UK.
Jerry Hopkinson, PD Ports’ managing director, bulks, ports and logistics said, ‘This is another very significant step forward on the project and we are pleased to have received consent in a very short timeframe.’
In July, MGT Power received the final approval from the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) to proceed with the Tees Renewable Energy Plant (known as the Section 36 approval). This followed initial planning approval from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council in November 2008.
In October, MGT Power announced that Tesco is furthering its commitment to cutting its carbon footprint by entering into an agreement with MGT Power’s Tees Renewable Energy Plant to supply 100% of its power requirement for Tesco’s Teesport import warehouse.
