Date: November 12th 2009
MGT Power, the developers of the £500m Tees Renewable Energy Plant, located at Teesport, today briefed more than 120 people from more than 50 North East companies on the business opportunities that will become available as the scheme is built and then enters commercial operation. The presentation, organised and hosted by the Energy Industries Council (EIC), was held earlier today at Middlesbrough FC’s Riverside Stadium. It was the largest ever meeting of its kind hosted by the EIC’s Northern office.
MGT Power, which is also seeking to develop a similar sized biomass power plant at the Port of Tyne, outlined the current status of the Tees and Tyne projects, and spoke about the range of goods and services that will be required to build and operate the two plants and the procurement process that will be adopted. The audience received presentations from Chris Moore, a director of MGT Power Ltd and Julian Scutter, Head of Renewable Energy at Pöyry Energy, the engineering consultants to the Tees Renewable Energy Plant.
Chris Moore said: “We were delighted with the level of interest and enthusiasm shown in our power projects at Teesport and the Port of Tyne. It underlines the significant economic contribution that both projects can bring to the North East. At Teesside, we expect about 600 people to be employed during the three year construction period, 150 permanent jobs during the station’s lifetime, and once operating the plant will contribute about £30m per annum into the local economy. We are expecting our Tyne Renewable Energy Plant, which is still at an early stage in the planning and development process, to make a similar contribution. A number of Tyneside companies were present at today’s presentation.”
At 295MW capacity, the Tees Renewable Energy Plant will generate enough electricity to meet the needs of approximately 600,000 homes and will be one of the largest-ever biomass plants to be built in the world, and one of the largest of all renewable energy projects. MGT Power plan to start construction in the first half of next year and for the plant to enter commercial operation in 2012/13. The proposed Tyne Renewable Energy Plant is targeted to enter commercial operation in 2014/15, subject to planning and financing.
For further information please contact:
Paul Taylor/James Court (Taylor Keogh Communications) on 020 3170 8465
Notes to Editors:
2. 1. MGT Power (www.mgtpower.com) was established in December 2007 to develop biomass generation projects in the UK and Europe. The management team includes Chris Moore, Ben Elsworth, Thiago Azevedo and Noel Forrest who have backgrounds in UK power generation and the supply of renewable energy feedstocks.
3. 2. The Tees site is about 6kms east of Middlesbrough and 5kms west of Redcar. It is situated on land adjacent to the main southern dock at Teesport on the south bank of the River Tees. It has a number of advantages: available industrial zone land, suitable dockside acreage in a deep water port, good access to the National Grid and associated electrical infrastructure, excellent highly skilled local industrial workforce and contracting base, and excellent road links.
4. 3. In October 2009, MGT Power announced an agreement with Tesco to supply power to Tesco’s import warehouse at Teesport directly from the Tees Renewable Energy Plant. The Tesco warehouse is adjacent to the Tees REP on PD Port’s Teesport estate.
