Following the scoping statement we submitted in July 2007, in March 2008 we submitted a planning application to build a £60m biomass power station at Blackburn Meadows in Sheffield.

Rated at 25MW, the new Renewable Energy Plant would produce enough power for around 40,000 homes by burning a combination of recycled wood, forestry residue and specially grown crops such as willow and elephant grass.

The plant would also displace the emission of around 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, the equivalent of taking more than 20,000 cars off the UK’s roads each year, by burning carbon neutral fuel in place of traditional fossil fuels like coal and gas.

E.ON UK Project Developer Dr Nilton Chan said: "We're looking to breathe life back into the redundant Blackburn Meadows site and believe that a biomass development is a great opportunity to make a contribution to the Yorkshire and Humber region's target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2010.
 
"And it's not just the environment that will benefit - we're expecting there to be a number of benefits to the local community in terms of new jobs and investment in the area."

We are also looking at opportunities to supply heat to neighbouring commercial and industrial establishments, further boosting the project’s green status and efficiency.

If the project gets the green light, construction is expected to start early in 2009, with the first power being produced in 2011.