A NEW biomass plant, creating green energy from recycled natural materials, could soon be built at Cheney Manor Industrial Estate.

Pure Green – a low-carbon energy and animal bedding company – is to apply for planning permission to set up the facility after being attracted into Swindon by Forward Swindon’s business investment campaign.

The company specialises in recycling wood and other natural materials into two products: Biomass for use in commercial energy production, and animal bedding.

Pure Green is an offshoot of the European Hippofan, which has a turnover of more than €75m and employs 300 people across more than 15 different companies.

This announcement comes in the same week that Swindon Commercial Services, which could provide some recycled wood for the biomass plant, released more details about a fuel preparation plant to be built at its depot on the estate, which would turn household waste into solid fuel.

The business investment team at Forward Swindon have been helping Pure Green to find their facility, and prepare their planning application for the site, which was previously occupied by Easy Living Furniture.

Lawrence Murphy, the economic projects manager at Forward Swindon, said almost 100 jobs could be created in total, of which 40 would be at the plant across two phases of the scheme, and 50 would be involved in logistics.

The application, which has now been submitted, is for the demolition of the existing warehouse and building of an animal bedding and wood pellet processing plant and a CHP biomass plant.

Phil Young, the director of Investment at Forward Swindon, said: “Pure Green could be a major win for Swindon.

“They will use state-of-the-art technologies to produce sustainable energy and products, using resources from within the Swindon area.

“We have helped the company find suitable premises and given guidance on planning issues.

“If they gain planning consent, they will be contributing to one of our key target sectors – the low carbon economy.”

Forward Swindon says if the scheme receives planning permission, it will represent a major investment for the Swindon area.

The plant would source some of its recycled wood from Swindon Commercial Services, based next door, and raw materials from the surrounding areas of Wiltshire and the south west.

Biomass energy is clean – it operates in a closed carbon cycle and is carbon neutral. and it is envisaged that in the longer term the plant will be entirely “closed loop”, where the boiler will use energy generated by the process, which is required to heat and dry the raw materials.

The plant will not produce any harmful emissions.

Biomass is a renewable energy, and is already used within some UK power stations, contributing to the National Grid and reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels.

IESI , a specialist firm in the management of renewable energy production, is a consultant to Pure Green. Managing director Dr John O’Shea said: “This is a progressive biomass plant and adds to our extension of such technology in the UK.”

See Forward Swindon’s website at www.swindon.uk.com.