Lynemouth coal to biomass conversion project has passed EU state aid approval

RWE has announced it has received state aid approval for the Lynemouth coal-fired power plant to biomass project in the United Kingdom.

The 420 MW (gross capacity) Lynemouth Power Station is located in the north east of the UK. The plant is capable of producing enough electricity to meet the needs of over 450.000 households. The conversion from coal to biomass will allow the station to operate under new tighter EU emission regulations which come into force on the 1st January 2016.

Andree Stracke, Chief Commercial Officer of RWE Supply and Trading GmbH said: 

"We welcome this confirmation of the government support for biomass power generation, which provides a reliable base load to complement other renewables such as wind and solar. This is an important milestone for the further development of the site. We are working towards full conversion and power production from 100% biomass within 18 months. Once operational the project will be able to export 390 MW of low carbon electricity to the National Grid, supporting the Government’s climate change targets.” 

The acquisition of Lynemouth in December 2012 was part of the Principal Investment Business of RWE Supply & Trading. 

Andree Stracke added:

“Todays confirmation is a win-win-situation for all stakeholders. It is fantastic news for the plant and its 135 employees, with positive impacts for the region. It supports the climate change goals of the UK government and will be important for UK’s security of supply. This project supports RWE’s strategy to convert the plant to preserve and boost the value of the operations."