AN ENVIRONMENTAL campaigning organisation has claimed the Milford Haven power plant proposed by energy firm Egnedol as part of a raft of developments is a “high-risk, unproven technology,” casting serious doubt on the company’s ability to successfully operate such a plant.

Egnedol, a Cypriotic-Welsh company, is to submit a planning application to Pembrokeshire Council for a 49.9 Megawatt power station which would gasify around 400,000 tonnes of wood a year.

This application forms part of a much larger project, which Egnedol estimate would increase the power station capacity to 350 MW.

The plan is propsoed to bring hundreds of jobs.

Environmental organisation Biofuelwatch's report, published yesterday, February 17, states similar attempts to build gasifiers in the UK have failed.

It also points to the fact that Egnedol has no track record with any power station scheme.

Biofuelwatch’s report says Egnedol state that half of the power station's energy will be generated from chemically treated waste wood, the remainder imported “super trees,” to be grown in plantations in Morocco and Greece.

Biofuelwatch Co-Director Almuth Ernsting, author of the report, said: “Our briefing exposes Egnedol as a company with no proven track record of delivering any projects at all, let alone ones involving unproven and challenging new technologies.

"It is important that local residents, the planning department and councillors fully understand the public health risks involved in trying to operate such a plant.”

Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru Gareth Chubb said: "The people of Pembrokeshire won't like being guinea pigs for an unproven technology with uncertain risks to human health using wood from non-existent forests. Companies like Egnedol have talked up this type of proposal for a long time but we've never seen a successful venture of this nature in the UK. This proposal should be rejected."

Steve Whitehouse, Director of Egnedol Ltd responded: “Our proposed sustainable energy facility has been designed to comply fully with European and UK guidelines with respect to sustainable energy production.

“Both the UK and European Government agree that using short rotation biomass crops to create energy via advanced conversion systems, offers an excellent opportunity to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to ensure energy security.

“We are looking forward to working with the community to bring this showcase development to fruition.

“A copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project will be posted on the company website at www.egnedol.co.uk when the planning application is submitted.”

A public consultation is taking place in Milford Haven Town Hall tonight (Thursday).

Click here for details.