Port of Tyne seals biomass supply deal

The new four-year deal will see the port continue to import around one million tonnes of the pellets every year to supply the power station in Selby, North Yorkshire. The contract also includes a £1.5m upgrade to site facilities and rail infrastructure.

Matt Beeton, chief executive of the Port of Tyne, said: “This new contract will see bigger ships, more trains and improved infrastructure as the Port of Tyne continues to grow its role in the UK renewable energy market.”

Drax’s North Yorkshire power station now generates 9% of the UK’s renewable power. Each 25-wagon trainload of biomass enables Drax to generate enough clean energy to supply around 800 homes for a year and the transition from coal to biomass fuel has helped Drax reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 99%.

The Port of Tyne says the new deal will further boost its credentials in the supply of renewable energies. It currently supplies 20% of the UK’s raw material to support renewable electricity.

The deal for the Tyneside port follows on from developments at other ports in the north east, including the arrival of the largest oil and gas decommissioning project to date at Port of Blyth.