Green power ‘to create jobs’ (From York Press)
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Green power ‘to create jobs’
8:41am Wednesday 1st August 2012 in Jobs News
CONVERTING to mostly “green” fuel sources will create thousand of jobs over the next 12 to 18 months, power giant Drax has said.
The power station is to invest £700 million over the next five years in converting three of its six generating units to burn biomass, such as willow and straw, it said in its interim results.
York-based Shepherd Group has already started constructing new fuel delivery, storage and distribution facilities, due to be completed in 2014.
Drax is also having new rail wagons designed and built and is extending its rail syetm so trains can go around the plant faster. It will also invest in the infrastructure of three to four ports to source enough biomass.
Drax itself will need to employ 20 to 50 more people to operate it, he said.
The first converted unit is expected to start operating in the second quarter of 2013 and full conversion of the three units is expected to more than halve Drax’s carbon output, from 20 to 22 million tonnes per year to ten to 11 million tonnes, The company would also use less coal.
