£6m power station will help planet

A £6 Million 'green' power station planned for Coventry could help fight climate change. Renewable power generation company PurePower is behind plans for a station next to the former Massey Ferguson site, off Broad Lane, Eastern Green.

Wood from landfill and a nearby composting plant together with locally grown energy crops like willow and miscanthus would be used to generate power for more than 3,000 homes and businesses in the area.

PurePower chief executive Adam Overfield said: "It's environmentally friendly. It reduces the amount of wood thrown away in landfill sites. "There is already a green composting site there and this will supplement that. It also gives an incentive to grow energy crops which encourage wildlife."

The power station, which would be 38m by 43m with a height of 12m, is designed to look like an agricultural building and its only byproduct is char, which can be used as a compost-improving agent. Mr Overfield has explained the plans to residents and parish councillors.

He said: "We've had a mixed response. Some people welcome it while some are a bit worried. "We have assured them it will have a low visual impact and will be governed by the Environment Agency for fumes and noise."

Farmer Clive Briscoe, who owns the land and composting site, is working with PurePower. He said "I think it's a tremendous idea. "They use a lot of these renewable power stations on the continent. It is a very clean way of producing energy and is nothing at all like the traditional power stations. It is a completely new generation.

"I will be growing miscanthus for the power station and there are several other farmers keen on growing bio fuels. "It is brilliant for the agricultural industry which has had three or four bad years."

The plans will be submitted to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the next few weeks.