UK bulk terminals face closure with delay of boimass to replace coal
EIGHTY to 90 British bulk terminals face shutdown as coal imports dry up after the recent closure of coal-fired power stations.
"Coal-fired power stations are closing to fulfill government policy to "decarbonises" industry and cut emissions," said Justin Atkin, a key advisor to the Association of Bulk Terminal Operators (ABTO).
"But the promised uptake of biomass as an energy source has failed to happen on the scale anticipated," said Mr Atkin, who is also managing director of Ragged Edge Recruitment & Consulting.
Said ABTO chief executive Ian Adams: "The premise of the Carbon Floor Tax was to provide subsidies to encourage a switch to renewable energy.
"The government needs to consider how this is implemented so that bulk terminals can remain viable in a decarbonised future," he said.
The reduction in coal and iron has resulted in overcapacity of bulk terminals at larger ports.
In the latest edition of the Association of Bulk Terminal Operator's newsletter, ABTONews, Mr Atkins said that North Yorkshire's Drax was the only coal-fired power station to have converted to biomass on a large scale.
"It was anticipated that the incredible conversion work undertaken at Drax would be adopted by other UK coal fired power stations such as Eggborough, Ferrybridge and Rugeley, providing bulk terminal operators with a new import commodity," he said.
"But the drop-off in coal imports has not been replaced with biomass on the scale required to support the UK's bulk terminal operators," he said.
EIGHTY to 90 British bulk terminals face shutdown as coal imports dry up after the recent closure of coal-fired power stations.
"Coal-fired power stations are closing to fulfill government policy to "decarbonises" industry and cut emissions," said Justin Atkin, a key advisor to the Association of Bulk Terminal Operators (ABTO).
"But the promised uptake of biomass as an energy source has failed to happen on the scale anticipated," said Mr Atkin, who is also managing director of Ragged Edge Recruitment & Consulting.
Said ABTO chief executive Ian Adams: "The premise of the Carbon Floor Tax was to provide subsidies to encourage a switch to renewable energy.
"The government needs to consider how this is implemented so that bulk terminals can remain viable in a decarbonised future," he said.
The reduction in coal and iron has resulted in overcapacity of bulk terminals at larger ports.
In the latest edition of the Association of Bulk Terminal Operator's newsletter, ABTONews, Mr Atkins said that North Yorkshire's Drax was the only coal-fired power station to have converted to biomass on a large scale.
"It was anticipated that the incredible conversion work undertaken at Drax would be adopted by other UK coal fired power stations such as Eggborough, Ferrybridge and Rugeley, providing bulk terminal operators with a new import commodity," he said.
"But the drop-off in coal imports has not been replaced with biomass on the scale required to support the UK's bulk terminal operators," he said.