Hi-tech: Proposed power plant could produce up to 350MWe of electricity

THE COMMERCIAL manager of a scheme to bring a pyrolysis power station, a cheese factory and prawn and algae farm to Milford Haven has told a prominent county councillor that he should ‘watch this space’ if he thinks that the plans will not come to fruition.

Phil Johns told The Herald: “The Egnedol project is fully funded with an insurance wrap guaranteeing all stages of the process. We are confident in our ability to deliver – all I can say to Cllr Mike Stoddart is: Watch this space it will happen.”

In an attempt to dampen rumours that the plans were all pie in the sky, Mr Johns confirmed that the project was fully financed with “offshore funding” and that the project was “guaranteed at every stage of the process”. He said that when one stage of the build was completed that the next stage of financing would “follow through”.

He was speaking following comments from Cllr Stoddart that he was sceptical that the plans for the energy £685m project were sound. The scheme would make Pembrokeshire an international standard-bearer for cutting-edge clean energy technology, the company has said.

Speaking to Herald TV last week immediately after Egnedol’s open day in Hazlebeach, Cllr Mike Stoddart said: “It was a very scanty presentation, a few drawings and that was it.

“They seemed very vague about the material they are going to pyrolise. Obviously if it brings hundreds of jobs to Milford Haven then it will be a fantastic asset but I am extremely dubious myself.”

On Wednesday (Jan 20) Cllr Stoddart added to his comments: “I cannot see how they are going to make it pay. I think I saw a figure of 142 staff working at the fish packing facility, along with a figure of 100 tons of fish per year – if this is true they will have very high staff costs.”

“Also the number of people they say will be employed by the new power station will make it a bigger employer than Pembroke Power Station, but it is a much, much smaller facility with one sixth of the output.”

Pembroke Power Station is the largest gas-fired power station in Europe which can generate enough power to supply 3.5 million homes and businesses but only employs around 100 people.

Cllr Stoddart added: “I am baffled as to how this project will work financially. The numbers don’t seem to stack up.”

The Herald caught up with Phil Johns this week outside the Dragon LNG plant on Tuesday (Jan 19).

Asked by our reporter James Hemingrey if the company had any experience in projects like this Mr Johns said: “This is a unique site. The company did have a demonstration unit running in south Wales. The units had been proven with several thousands of hours of running in South Africa.”

He added: “We intend to get our planning application in [to the council] in February this year. Once we have the planning consent in place we are looking at a build time of around twelve months.

“We will be using the jetty to import wood-chip biomass from our own plantations. That biomass will be gasified – superheated in an oxygen free environment. The biogas will then be put through a catalyst that will allow us to produce a clean gas capable of being injected into the national grid, and also used to generate electricity though the use of gas turbines.

“We do have a bi-product in the form of hydrogen and liquid fuels as well which will be exported from the site.

“We have secured our own plantations in Morocco and Greece which basically gives us a good base-load supply”

The 450 jobs which will come to the area for the first part of the development, rising to 550 jobs.

“The project is fully funded with an insurance wrap guaranteeing all stages of the process. We are confident in our ability to deliver – all I can say to Cllr Stoddart is watch this space it will happen.”

According to the company’s website Egnedol Limited was formed to bring together a suite of existing technologies and business partners with a broad range of related expertise.

A statement posted online says: “Our aim is to create an environmentally sustainable centre of excellence at the Waterston and Blackbridge sites in Milford Haven.

“The Milford Haven project will create around 560 permanent jobs and will support and sustain many other positions within existing businesses in the area. A full range of job types will be created, ranging from senior management to part time operative and administrative positions.

“The business model for the project is robust, well funded and the industrial activities created by the project will act as a catalyst that will support businesses in the area.

“Project partners have been secured and will provide inward investment into the project.”