Caunton was delighted to have been entrusted with the order for the steelwork for the new straw-fired Renewable Energy Plant (REP) at Snetterton, Norfolk. This being the third order in the past two years for power plants constructed by Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor (BWSC). Caunton have already supplied the steelwork for BWSC plants at Sleaford and Brigg. The steelwork will be framed the Boiler House, the Turbine Hall, the Offices, Straw Barns, the Straw Conveyor & Wood Chip Buildings. Caunton's Secondary Steelwork Division is adding to this with supplying the Access Stairs, Ladders, Flooring and Hand railing. The project is engineered by the Danish office of consultants Ramboll.
The facility will be operated by BWSC, who will own it in partnership with a Danish infrastructure fund managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. The facility, which will have an electrical capacity of 44.2MW, is the world’s largest water cooled vibrating grate straw-fired boiler. The facility is expected to be operational by around mid-2017. Snetterton biomass plant will bring significant benefits to the local economy in Norfolk. As well as providing a number of jobs associated directly with the plant, it will generate an annual investment of around £9 million in the agricultural economy through contracts for the supply of around 240,000 tonnes of straw per year.
Caunton are proud to be associated with such an exciting, ambitious and beneficial project.
This project is contributing to the UK Government’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050 by means of zero carbon energy production.