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Milford Haven: Campaigners ask for public responses on biomass plant plans

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blackbridgeCONCERNED Milford Haven residents are calling on people to object to energy company Egnedol’s plans to build a power plant in Blackbridge which would gasify 480,000 tonnes of virgin biomass and waste derived fuels every year.

They are consulting on their Environmental Impact Assessment right now and they must consider any objections or other comments by local residents sent to them by 20th May.

Campaigner Shelagh O’Keeffe told The Herald: “Egnedol state that they want to increase the size of the plant seven-fold over three years, though this would require a new planning application. Egnedol’s proposal includes a number of different activities which would rely on waste heat from the power plant.

“However, two of those rely on technologies which have never been successfully used anywhere in the world.  The others, such as a warm water fish farm, rely on a constant, uninterrupted supply of heat.

“But this cannot be guaranteed because no attempt to generate electricity using a biomass or waste gasifier in the UK has ever been successful.

Mrs O’Keeffe added: “There are serious flaws in Egnedol’s Environmental Impact Assessment.  For example, they do not say what they will actually be burning.  At a public consultation event, an Egnedol representative said that half of the feedstock would be wood from fast-growing tree plantations in Greece and Morocco and that the other half would be waste wood.  However the company which was to supply the plantation wood has since confirmed that they have no supply agreement with Egnedol and that the plantations in Greece and Morocco do not yet exist.  And the planning documents simply speak about ‘virgin biomass’ and ‘Waste Derived Fuel’, suggesting that the plant could burn any type of waste as well as any type of wood.

“I believe that the claims about the number of jobs which would be created by the plant appears highly inflated and far exceeds the number of jobs created by other power plant of a similar size.

Earlier this year plans were explained to councillors at Milford Haven Town Hall.

The power station, it was explained, initially billed to generate up to 49.9MWe of electricity, will use a combination of waste wood and sustainable wood chip supplies – the latter to be imported from Morocco and Cyprus.

At the January 25 meeting town councillors were told that waste gasses will be emitted from a 60m high stack near to the existing Wards Pier. The company has promised that there will be no noise audible from the boundary of the facility, and that emissions will be minimal, with nitrogen oxide fumes being 99% below the government-accepted safe level.

Councillors were also shown slides detailing the number of jobs that were expected to be created in each division of the new Eco Park – Mr Whitehouse said: “These will be well paid jobs, and we have already started working with the local job centre in Milford Haven to recruit suitable candidates. We have already recruited three security guards locally. West Wales has a large pool of people with the right skills.”

He added: “We are also working with Swansea University who lead the way in research in algae. We have made contact with Pembrokeshire College and we hope to be working with them on this project also.”

After the presentation councillors were able to ask questions about the proposed development.

Cllr John Cole asked: “How do you intend to control pollution from this proposed development?”

Mr Whitehouse replied: “We use ADMS4 modelling, a computer model which looks at meteorological data and the background air quality to model levels of NO2. We understand that Milford Haven is a sensitive area for N02, but we will use urea injectors in this process to minimise emissions.”

He added: “We will also have automatic shutdown if set levels of emissions are breached.”

There will be a second full consultation into the biomass plant once the full application has been submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government.

Public representations can be emailed to Egnedol on info@engedol.com before May 20.

 

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Troopersinn

    May 16, 2016 at 4:43 pm

    Offal…

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Community

Showmen’s lucky scape as fairground lorry bursts into flames

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A FIRE broke out in the cab of an articulated lorry at Pembroke Fair in the early hours of Sunday (Mar 16), prompting a call-out for Pembroke Dock firefighters.

Showmen sleeping in their caravans at the Commons had a lucky escape when their generator truck caught fire in the middle of the night. By the time the alarm was raised, the vehicle was already well alight.

Thanks to the swift actions of those at the scene, the blaze did not spread to nearby caravans—a potentially deadly situation due to the presence of sleeping occupants and Calor Gas bottles used for heating and cooking.

The incident occurred near Commons Road, Pembroke, with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) receiving the call at 2:42am.

A MAWWFRS spokesperson said: “The crew responded to a vehicle fire involving the cab of an articulated lorry.

“The main fire was out on the crew’s arrival, and firefighters used one hose reel jet to dampen down the area. A thermal imaging camera was deployed to check for remaining hot spots.

“Safety information and guidance were given to the vehicle’s driver.

“The crew left the scene at 3:18am.”

No injuries were reported.

(Pictures: File images)

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Community

Native oyster success story on the Milford Haven Waterway

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AFTER more than a year of careful rearing, thousands of juvenile native oysters have now been returned to the Milford Haven Waterway, marking a major milestone in an ambitious restoration project involving the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

Since the project began in late 2023, Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences has been nurturing native oyster broodstock collected from Angle Bay and Burton Ferry. These oysters spawned multiple times in controlled conditions, producing hundreds of thousands of larvae. The tiny larvae were then reared until they were ready to settle on to shells, where they mostly remain fixed as they grow. Some scallop shells held as many as 160 individual oyster spat, ranging from 4mm to 10mm in size.

In February, an estimated 200,000 baby oysters were released into the Waterway by students from Paddle West. Braving a strong easterly wind, the team (assisted by Sky the dog, and with rescue cover support from Rudders Boatyard) successfully deposited the oysters onto the seabed. While not all will survive, many are expected to take hold and contribute to the recovery of the native oyster population.

Once abundant in UK waters, native oyster populations have dramatically declined due to habitat loss, pollution, over-harvesting and disease

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority Biodiversity Officer, Sarah Mellor, said “This collaborative project is a major step forward for native oyster restoration in Wales. Achieving complex native oyster reefs once again in the Daugleddau may seem a distant dream, but this project has accelerated our learning and made the dream tangible. These oysters will play a vital role in improving water quality, storing carbon and creating habitat for marine life.”

To further support the restoration effort, some of the oyster-covered scallop shells have been placed into oyster hotels at Rudders Boatyard, where they will be closely monitored. Atlantic Edge Oysters will also oversee a selection of the young oysters to assess their growth rates.

The oysters will be tracked as part of the Natur am Byth! Mòr restoration project, delivered by the Marine Conservation Society with assistance from Sue Burton, the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC Officer.

Sue said,“Native oyster restoration needs oyster suppliers and growers, and this project has proved that we can deliver this in Wales with our home-grown native oysters and expertise.”

The project is being delivered in partnership with Bangor University, the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC Officer and Tethys Oysters in Angle Bay. It forms part of the Blue Carbon Strand of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s Wild Coast! Sustainable Landscapes, Sustainable Places Programme, funded by the Welsh Government and co-ordinated by Tirweddau Cymru Landscapes Wales.

The restored oysters will now be closely monitored to assess their survival and growth, helping to inform future restoration efforts and strengthen the long-term recovery of the species in the Milford Haven Waterway.

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Oriel y Parc opens its doors to a world of peace and tranquillity

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An exhibition featuring the work of two leading artists and illustrators is to open at the National Park Discovery Centre in St Davids.

Featuring the work of Jackie Morris and Elly Morgan, ‘Tangnefedd Rhyngom: Peace Between Us’  invites visitors to explore the theme of peace, creating an opportunity for people to pause, reflect and connect with the quiet beauty of the world around them.

The exhibition brings together two distinct approaches to peace.  Jackie Morris – illustrator, artists and writer best known for The Lost Words and The Lost Spells – presents a series of prints depicting painted doves, using her signature style to convey peace as a dynamic force.  In contrast, Elly Morgan, known for her intricate ceramic work, offers a tactile interpretation of peace through her ceramic doves which draw inspiration from Pembrokeshire’s  natural landscapes.

Elly Morgan’s Wings of Peace

On World Poetry Day (March 22), Jackie Morris will host a talk and a question and an answer session which will provide a deeper insight into the exhibition as well as  themes that inspire her work.  The free event will take lace between 2 pm and 3 pm. 

Meanwhile Elly Morgan will lead a family-friendly workshop from 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday, March 23.  The drop-in invites participants of all ages to contribute to a collaborative installation using recycled materials and acrylic paints.

The exhibition will be on display at Oriel y Parc until Sunday, April 27.

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