Turning the light on with timber waste

Countryman
Thursday 10/7/2008 Page: 3

WA's environmental watchdog has given the green light for a controversial biomass plant to be built in the State's South-West. The $110 million Manjimup plant will turn 380,000 tonnes of waste from the timber industry each year into 40 megawatts of power for the State electricity grid. WA Biomass Pty Ltd, a joint venture between Babcock and Brown and National Power, still needs the approval of Environment Minister David Templeman to start building at the Diamond Timber Mill site.

Environmental Protection Authority chairman Paul Vogel said the proposal would have low emissions and result in greenhouse gas savings which would contribute to the Government's 20 per cent renewable energy target. Biomass Action Group spokesman Neal Bartholomaeus said there were still major concerns about the impact of the project on agriculture.