Biomass plants in Barrow and Brigg scrapped

Plans to build two biomass plants in Cumbria and North Lincolnshire have been scrapped.

Centrica said it was abandoning proposals for new plants at Roosecote in Barrow, and in Brigg because they were no longer "in favour".

It said the government preferred turning existing coal stations to biomass rather than building new ones.

Opponents to the plans were worried about emissions and the visual impact of the the stations.

Centrica's current gas station at Roosecote is also being mothballed, but there will be no compulsory redundancies among its 17 workers, the firm said.

'Difficult decision'

It had wanted to demolish its existing plant and build an 80 megawatt plant which could burn waste and wood chip brought in through Barrow docks from the UK and abroad.

It had also planned to build a 137 megawatt plant in Brigg, but has now withdrawn its planning application.

More than 14,000 people signed a petition against the proposed Cumbria plant.

Centrica Energy spokesman Alan McLaughlin said: "Our understanding is that future policy will favour co-firing and conversion of coal fired power stations rather than dedicated biomass projects, so we have made the difficult decision not to proceed."