The largest wood-fired power station in the UK, Steven’s Croft Power Station, has just been opened in Lockerbie, Scotland. The power station has a 44MW capacity and will burn a mixture of forestry residue and specially grown willow.

A biomass electricity building power station on this scale will have the capability of supplying enough energy to power up to 70,000 homes. The new power station will also supply jobs for up to 340 people both in maintaining the power plant itself and in the forestry, sawmilling and agriculture industries.

Steven’s Croft Power Plant is a truly locally sufficient power source for Lockerbie with almost all of the fuel sourced from within a 60 mile radius of the plant.

The Steven’s Croft Power Plant is owned and operated by E.ON UK. Frank Mastiaux, Chief Executive of E.ON Climate & Renewables said at the opening: “We’re delighted that the First Minister could be here today, because Steven’s Croft is a pioneering project that offers huge benefits to the local community as well as to the battle against climate change.

“We need a mix of energy sources such as biomass if we’re going to succeed in ensuring a secure supply of electricity to keep the lights on while reducing carbon emissions.

“That’s why we’re taking the lead and building projects like Steven’s Croft, which represents part of a billion pound investment that we’re making in the development of renewable energy in the UK over the next five years.”

The cost of the Steven’s Croft Biomass Power Plant project was £90 million. It is estimated that up to 140,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be avoided per year.