Farmers have been urged to take advantage of the opportunity to grow energy crops after the UK’s first large scale wood burning power station was opened in Teesside.

The £60m Sembcorp biomass power station at Wilton will use 300,000t of sustainable wood a year to produce enough energy to power 30,000 households.

About 3000ha (7500acres) of short rotation coppice will be required to power the station at full capacity, but with only 200ha currently being grown for the plant, there is plenty of opportunity for growers, Sembcorp said.

 “We have a very small amount of the total required planted, so we are looking for more people to plant,” said Steve Bishop, Sembcorp’s biomass manager.

“In the past people have been wary of growing energy crops, as power stations have just been in the pipeline. But there’s a real outlet for crops now.

“It’s a great opportunity for farmers. If they grow it, we will burn it.”

Contracts to supply the plant are held through Greenergy. For more information contact Steve Bishop at steve.bishop@sembutilities.co.uk