A £160-million power plant generating renewable electricity for up to 75,000 homes in south Wales has entered commercial operation.
The Margam Green Energy Plant, about 5km southeast of Port Talbot in western Britain, has entered commercial operation.
The initial construction completion date was early 2017.
The power station is owned by Glennmont Partners, a major European renewable energy fund managers.
The main contractor for the Margam project, the consortium of Ohio-based Babcock and Wilcox Vølund and Interserve Construction, has now formally handed it over to Glennmont.
The renewable energy plant, fuelled by waste wood, is due to generate power for up to 75,000 homes. The burning of waste wood to create power has proved controversial with some environmental groups, which say it should not be listed as a renewable source.
The 250,000 tonnes-per-year capacity still is due to be supplied in full by Stobart Energy using Grade-C waste wood supplied by the municipal authorities, civic amenity sites and commercial and industrial sources across south Wales and southwestern England.
Construction of the Margam start started in 2016 and at one stage had more than 400 employees.
Babcock and Wilcox Vølund and Interserve worked in partnership with a large number of sub-contractors from Wales and other parts of the UK and the rest of Europe.
The construction management of the power station was led by the Cardiff-based energy company, Eco2.
Working closely with Glennmont, Eco2 now has management responsibility for Margam’s commercial operation as well as responsibility for Margam’s waste wood fuel logistics.
Babcock and Wilcox Vølund (B&W) has operational and maintenance responsibility for the power station, employing 25 staff at Margam.
Peter Dickson, a partner at Glennmont, said: “We are very pleased to see Margam fired-up and generating renewable energy for homes and businesses in south Wales. Margam is a long-term investment in Wales’s energy infrastructure.
“Glennmont has appreciated the hard work of everyone to complete Margam’s construction: the efforts of B&W, Interserve, Eco2 and, in particular, the commitment shown by so many individual workers on site. We have had challenges along the way but I’m delighted to have reached this moment: seeing Margam generating renewable electricity into the grid.”
Margam’s boiler room
