By Hayley Robinson

A planning application has been submitted for a third waste energy plant to be built in Sittingbourne.

Countrystyle Group – a waste management and recycling company, which is working with Bioflame – a technology specialist in providing biomass technology, submitted plans to Kent County Council at the end of October to develop a small biomass power plant at its existing site in Ridham Dock, Iwade.

The facility would generate renewable energy from waste wood diverting up to 30,000 tonnes of wood from landfill annually and generate enough electricity to meet the demands of over 6,300 local homes.

The company claims that because it will be using materials generated by the present on-site operations 1,500 HGV journeys a year will be saved.

KCC is expected to make a decision on the application by February 2010 and subject to planning consent it’s hoped the plant will be up and running by May 2010.

St Regis Paper, which owns Kemsley Mill, plans to submit an application before Christmas to KCC to build a new sustainable energy plant fuelled by pre-treated waste to supply energy to the existing paper mill.

And Evonik New Energies UK Ltd and renewable energy developer Biomass Fuels Ltd unveiled plans last month for a 25MW biomass combined heat and power plant to be built on industrial land at Ridham Docks in Iwade.

Tory parliamentary candidate Gordon Henderson has raised concerns about what it means for the town if KCC gives the go ahead to all three plans.

He said: “If the planning applications are looked at individually I am sure there will be some people who say that the level of emissions is perfectly safe, however, if all the applications are approved the combined level of emissions will be more problematic, particularly for the communities in Kemsley, Iwade and on Sheppey.

Countrystyle is holding an open day at Iwade Village Hall from 4pm to 8.30pm on Monday, December 21. Representatives from the company and Bioflame will be available to talk to residents about the plans.