Balcas to build biomass plant

Fermanagh company Balcas plans to build a £24 million (€35

Fermanagh company Balcas plans to build a £24 million (€35.3 million) biomass plant in northern Scotland to produce electricity and wood pellets for consumer use.

Managing director Ernest Kidney said the Enniskillen-based firm hoped to have the plant running by early 2008.

He said the combined heat-and-power plant planned to produce five megawatts of electricity for the grid (the maximum permitted) and another three megawatts for use in producing wood pellets for commercial consumption.

Mr Kidney added this would be the first industrial manufacture of a renewable heat fuel in Scotland that could be used to replace traditional fossil fuels.