ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have launched a campaign against a proposed biomass plant in Milford Haven.

Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth (PFoE) is urging local people to object to Egnedol's application to develop the former RNAD site at Blackbridge.

The group warns the technology Egnedol proposes to use is "experimental" and "unproven", and says it has serious concerns about the impact on public health and safety.

In a statement, PFoE said: "Gasification technologies such as those Egnedol want to use are associated with substantial risks of fires, explosions and pollution incidents."

It adds that air pollution would also be likely.

Jan Waite, of PFoE, said: “This is the wrong proposal at the wrong site.

"Granting Egnedol planning consent would amount to giving them the license to experiment with a dangerous, unproven technology and putting the safety and health of residents at risk.

"Anybody concerned about this prospect should object to this application now and speak to their councillors and Assembly Members.”

Almuth Ernsting, from Biofuelwatch, added: “We have been studying biomass gasification proposals and schemes across the UK for several years, and none of them has ever succeeded and delivered the electricity and the jobs that had been promised.

"Yet Egnedol is the first developer we have come across who is trying to combined three completely unproven and non-viable technologies at once, i.e. those proposed for gasification, for advanced biofuels and for algal production.”

Egnedol has previously said the £200m 'centre of renewable energy excellence' would create around 450 jobs.

Speaking last year, Egnedol Ltd’s Steve Whitehouse said: “Egnedol Ltd are at the cutting edge of green technology, and the Milford Haven project has been carefully designed to ensure that the environmental impact is positive and that the sustainability criteria are exemplary."

To view the application, visit acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk and search for case reference APP/N6845/A/16/3146073. Plans are also available to view at County Hall in Haverfordwest.

Residents can make their views known by writing to the Planning Inspectorate, or emailing dns.wales@pins.gsi.gov.uk by February 2.