Food Giant Goes for Bioomass in Aberdeenshire

Food ingredients manufacturer Macphie of Glenbervie is to install a multi-million pound biomass plant at its rural Aberdeenshire factory. The first large industrial biomass steam plant in Scotland, it will be operational by mid-2008. The 1.75MW boiler will use 5000 tonnes of locally sourced wood fuel each year to produce the baseline steam demand for the Glenbervie site. The company received a �400,000 grant from the Scottish Executive's �10.5 million Scottish Biomass Support Scheme. Macphie chief executive Alastair Macphie said that the new biomass plant would play a major part in delivering the European Commission's target for 12% of energy consumption to be from renewable sources by 2010. Energy generation from biomass is expected to generate up to 74% of this target. Energy minister Jim Mather said: "Scotland has a huge biomass resource which has the potential to meet local and small-scale energy needs. "The Biomass Support Scheme has enabled Macphie to turn this potential into a reality. We will continue to support renewable technologies like biomass to ensure a clean, green environment and capitalise on this emerging industry for a vibrant Scottish economy."