Associated British Ports (ABP) Hull UK has opened a dedicated biomass terminal to support the nearby Drax Power station’s conversion to a low carbon power generator, underlining its commitment to renewable energy.
In a 15 -ear deal with Drax, ABP Hull will handle up to one million tonnes of biomass per year. The Hull rail-out facility will enable biomass to be transported to the generator meaning that the port is playing an even larger part in generating power for the UK.
John Fitzgerald, ABP director, said: “The Humber ports have always been central to the UK’s energy supply and as electricity generation moves to a new low-carbon base, we too are investing in facilities to service this transformation.”
The £16m facility will mainly handle sustainable wood pellets imported from North America and Europe. Because it is automated, it will be capable of loading up to 25 rail wagons with 1600 tonnes of material in just 35 minutes.
To support the new facility, ABP is also investing £75m in a new biomass handling terminal on the south bank of the river at Immingham to help support Drax’s biomass supply chain.
This new terminal, which is currently in first development phase, is a fully automated wood pellet handing facility which when completed will be able to handle three million tonnes of biomass per year
ABP has already invested £310m in an offshore wind facility at Green Port Hull which is fast becoming a focal point for the development of the UK’s largest offshore wind turbine construction, assembly and servicing.
