E.ON is planning to develop one of the UK’s largest biomass power stations at the Port of Bristol.

We concluded an agreement with the Bristol Port Company to secure land earlier this year and now hope to build a 150MW 'carbon neutral' power station at the site, which would produce enough renewable power for over 200,000 homes.
In place of traditional fossil fuels like coal and gas, the proposed £300m Portbury Dock Renewable Energy Plant would burn sustainably sourced wood that would largely be brought to the plant by boat.

Paul Hunt, Development Manager for E.ON, said: "This development is an excellent opportunity to generate secure, reliable and sustainable energy that will help keep the lights on for homes and businesses throughout the South West while reducing the impact we have on the environment.

"It would also underline the Bristol area’s reputation as one of the country’s leading green areas and would make a significant contribution towards helping the South West meet its tough renewable energy targets."

In August 2008, we issued a Scoping Statement to North Somerset Council, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and other interested parties outlining our plans. We hope to submit a full planning application, which will include in-depth environmental impact assessments, to BERR in the middle of next year.

If the project gets the green light, construction is expected to start in 2010, with the first power being produced in 2013 and full operation would be reached in 2014.

Read the scoping statement for Portbury Dock Renewable Energy Plant (PDF, 451KB)