Snetterton Renewable Energy Plant

Community Newsletter - Winter 2015

BEAL BWSC Ltd Renewable Energy Plant

Community Newsletter - Winter 2015

We would like to welcome you to the first in a series of community newsletters for the Snetterton Renewable Energy Plant. We hope our newsletters will keep you up to date with our project, the construction activities which are taking place and provide information on some of the questions you and other community members are asking.

Our project is one of nearly 60 biomass energy plants operating, under construction or being developed across the UK, using a variety of different biomass’ to generate electricity. All these projects seek to protect the environment by generating clean and safe forms of power from renewable sources which will never run out. Even more importantly, renewable energy produces little or no waste products such as carbon dioxide or other chemical pollutants, so it has minimal impact on the environment. We are anticipating our renewable energy plant will be ready to open in spring 2017 and will generate just over 44MW of green electricity by burning straw,

which is enough to supply 82,000 homes and save 300,000 tons of CO2 every year.

Project Timeline* 2015 2016 2017 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

Onsite enabling works Delivery of main components to site

On site components assembly First synchronisation•

Cable route works Testing & commissioning

Grid• First• First• connection steam test power

* Tentative/Indicative project timeline for information purposes only – subject to change.

Who are we? the project from them about a year ago. This means We are BWSC East Anglia (BEAL) and we are the we weren’t able to build a strong relationship with project developers. We are a company owned by you and our other neighbours through the planning a joint venture of Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian process, but we look forward to doing this as our Contractor A/S (BWSC) and a Danish infrastructure project progresses and we become part of your fund managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners community over the next 20 years. K/S. For more information please look at www.bwsc.dk and www.cipartners.dk. What’s happening now? Some of you will know that we have already begun We have contracted BWSC to build and operate our building our renewable energy plant, starting with the renewable power plant. They are a leading building construction of the foundations for the buildings at our contractor and operator of biomass, medium & site off Chalk Lane near the A11 junction at Snetterton. large scale diesel and gas based power generation The first phase of building is due to finish at the end systems. Their experience and expertise ranges from of this year and we would like to thank you for your all aspects of plant design to refurbishment, operation understanding during this time. We try and find the and maintenance, as well as financing. best balance between minimising any disturbance caused and completing the work as quickly as The project was originally developed by Iceni and possible, so you are not affected for too long. ECO2, and we were lucky enough to be able to buy

Colin Jones – General Manager, BWSC North Lincs Limited T: 07928 496380 E: [email protected] We also have six separate construction crews Erection of the steel buildings that house our working between Snetterton and Diss who are laying renewable energy plant has started and we will soon underground ducts along the route of our export cable. start assembling the power plant components. These When this is finished the underground electric cables will be delivered along the agreed routes so look out will transport the energy we generate into the local for some unusual loads as they pass by. electricity grid for use across the region. We don’t actually own the cable, but are laying it on behalf of As many of you know we have submitted an UK Power Networks who you may know better as the application to the Environment Agency seeking Electricity Board; they own and maintain electricity permission for our project to discharge the thoroughly cables and lines in the area. They will adopt and own cleaned water used at our plant in to the River Thet. this cable themselves, once it’s in place. Our original plan was to discharge this cleaned water into the main sewer but unfortunately there are no What’s happening next? suitable access points. To ensure we found the next Our cable route construction crews will continue to best solution for both the local environment and the work on installing the electric duct that will carry the community, we carried out a full assessment of all the cables. The cable route is just over 11.5 miles long alternative options for the quality and quantity of the and runs along roads or in verges beside the road. water to be discharged. We then consulted with the The route will run from the construction site generally Environment Agency before submitting our application. in a south easterly direction. It leaves the site off Chalk Lane and passes under the A11 just north of We are confident that our solution will not have any the Snetterton interchange along Heath Road and adverse effects on the people, plants and animals that joins Road near The New Eccles Hall live nearby or indeed in the river itself. Although the School. The route continues along Quidenham Road, initial public consultation on the process is now closed, under the River Wittle in the village and on towards there will be a further opportunity for you to comment if , after passing through the village it you would like to, once the Environment Agency have continues along Church Street, through Dam Green published their draft decision. and onto Road, Wood Lane, Kenninghall Road, 2015 2016 2017 Common Road and Darrow Lane. The route passes to the Cable Route Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 B1177 east of Common Snetterton and then joins Snow Street B1177 Onsite enabling works Delivery of main components to site and Brewers Green Lane. On A11 the outskirts of Diss the route Eccles Wood • is along Roydon Road and On site components assembly First synchronisation Croft Lane. The end of the

cable route is at the electrical Banham Cable route works Testing & commissioning substation on the south side of the A1066 Park Road in Diss. Quidenham Grid• First• First• During the brief periods we are East Harling connection steam test power working outside your house or business we will look to Kenninghall

minimise disruption and ensure Dam Green you are able to move in and out B1177 whenever you need to.

B1111

To make things as quick and

simple as possible we first Fers eld lay ducting and then install the cable by pulling it through B1066 Bressingham these ducted sections. Burying Common the ducting first allows us to B1066 disturb only short sections of Brewers Green the road at a time and we use Roydon traffic lights to control the traffic Diss flows, the cable itself can then be pulled through the ducting system in sections swiftly and efficiently. This will make sure that cable laying takes place as quickly as possible with only BEAL minor disturbance to the roads. BWSC East Anglia Ltd

Colin Jones – General Manager, BWSC North Lincs Limited T: 07928 496380 E: [email protected] Who do we work with? How can we work with you? Due to the nature of our project we work with a variety We know that for our project to be really successful it of agencies to ensure we abide by the environmental and has to work for you and your community as well. It is statutory restrictions placed upon us. These include for important for us to build strong relationships which help example working closely with Council us to communicate effectively with you, listen to your and South District Councils over planning and points of view and work together to ensure our project licensing matters together with The Environment Agency creates the best positive impact for everyone who lives and Natural over permitting and consenting and works in the area. To achieve this we will do our best issues. to ensure you have all the information you need about our project, what we’re doing and when, as well as publicising What are the benefits to your local community? business, training and employment opportunities when We are a new industry in your community and we want they are available. We also need you to talk to us, ask to make sure we work with you to create as many any questions and tell us of any challenges you have so positive benefits as we can. We bring with us new job we can always do our best to work alongside you. We opportunities and will employ locally, regionally and have set up a dedicated point of contact for you to do this nationally whenever we can. We currently have around and want to encourage you to get in touch and stay in 100 people working on site, 95% of which are from the touch as our project progresses. UK and as the construction period continues we are expecting this to peak at about 300. It is our policy to We are committed to being part of your community for use qualified local sub-contractors for construction work at least the next 20 years and want to work with you although sometimes specialists and supervisors might throughout that whole period to ensure our renewable have to come from further afield. energy plant not only works for the environment but more importantly is a success in our community. Once our plant has begun generating renewable energy it will provide around 30 permanent jobs in Operation and If you would like to find out more about the Snetterton Maintenance, as well as further jobs in fuel transportation. Renewable Energy project and partners please visit Wherever possible we will use qualified local employees. www.snettertonbiomass.com where you will also be Contracts are already in place with local farmers, whose able to subscribe to receive regular updates and future surplus straw will help to power the biomass plant for the editions of this newsletter via email. coming decade, bringing further investment into the local and regional economy. So for anything you need please contact:

We are also committed to a policy of ensuring that our Colin Jones renewable energy plant co-operates with local schools, General Manager colleges and universities for educational purposes, BWSC East Anglia Ltd. offering training and also tours of our power plant for school classes or others that might have an interest in Telephone: +44 (0) 7739 658529 what we are doing. E-mail: [email protected] We bring other benefits to the area as we spend money locally on things like catering, office supplies, taxis and house rental, all of which supports the economy and local businesses. We also buy as much of our construction material locally as we can, including things like pipes and concrete. Our experience from other projects suggests that having up to 300 people working on a site provides significant spend in the local area.

Published by BWSC East Anglia Ltd - December 2015