EPR is already well established as a local employer in Thetford and the support infrastructure and services that have built up to serve the existing Thetford Power Station would be expanded to serve the new Plant. This site allows efficient connection to the grid, has a local supply of waste wood and has good access for delivery of the biomass fuel.

In addition, the town is identified as a growth area, with a significant amount of development and population growth planned. As well as generating electricity, the new Plant would be designed so it could provide heating to serve this growth in the future.

Whilst the exact height is yet to be confirmed, it is expected to be in the region of 90 metres tall. As a comparison, the existing stack at Thetford Power Station is 109 metres tall.

This is unlikely. In the UK all aircraft are required to keep at least 150 metres away from all buildings. However, as RAF Lakenheath is only 11 kilometres away, the Ministry of Defence has been consulted and has no objections to the proposal, although it has asked that the stack be lit in the interests of general air safety.

The Plant would operate continuously, except for short periods for maintenance and cleaning, and an annual shutdown period of approximately two weeks each year for major planned maintenance.

It is expected the Plant would provide up to 36 permanent jobs when operational; and an average of 120 jobs each day during construction. Where possible, local companies will be used for routine maintenance and so on.

EPR is aware of the ecologically sensitive nature of the surrounding area, including the Breckland Special Protection Area (SPA), the Breckland Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and local wildlife issues. A significant number of surveys looking at breeding and wintering birds (including woodlark, nightjar and barn owls) as well as invertebrates, reptiles, bats and badgers have been undertaken and a Habitats Regulations Assessment is also being carried out.

The results of these surveys are being discussed with the County Council, English Nature and specialist groups to ensure that any potential impact is not significant and is minimised as far as possible. The planning application for the Plant would be accompanied by an Environmental Statement and Habitats Regulations Assessment that collectively evaluate the potential impact on the environment, SPA and all of this wildlife.

Desktop, walk-over and ground penetrating radar surveys of the site have already been undertaken and the results of these are being discussed with the Council.

The Environmental Permit for the Plant would require that there are no smells or odours likely to cause any annoyance outside the site.

The ‘smoke' emitted from the stack would be a combination of water vapour (i.e. steam) and other emissions created from the combustion of the biomass fuel. The stack would contain a number of filters to remove ‘particulates' and additives would be added to remove chemicals. Ash would be collected separately and removed from the site. The emissions from the stack would be continually monitored, and regulated by the Environment Agency (which issues the Environmental Permit.)  Please click here to see a flow diagram of the plant processes.

The Environmental Permit for the Plant would require that there is no noise likely to cause any annoyance outside the site.

On average it is estimated that there would need to be around 50 deliveries a day (and a maximum of 85) to keep the Plant running at its maximum capacity.

On average the Plant would require around 300,000 tonnes of biomass fuel per year to run at its maximum capacity.

All lorries delivering the waste wood would access the site from the A134 Mundford Road via a new right-hand turn lane. As with deliveries to the existing Thetford Power Station, no lorries would travel through any nearby residential areas.

All construction traffic would access the site from the A134 Mundford Road via the new right-hand turn lane, which would be constructed before the Plant itself. No construction vehicles would travel through any nearby residential areas.

Other wood-fuelled plants include:

• Shotton Mill, Wales (20 MW)
• Port Talbot, Wales (14 MW)
• Slough, Berkshire (35 MW)
• Steven's Croft, Lockerbie, Scotland (44 MW)
• Wilton 10, Teeside (42 MW)