Energy complex to generate jobs

Published on Monday 29 March 2010 22:46

A NEW green energy industry complex is set to rise from the ashes of Aberdeenshire's last paper mill in a £60 million boost for the local economy.

Ambitious plans for the future of the former International Paper Mill site in Inverurie could also include a 100m data processing plant, harnessing power from the biomass energy centre at the mill site.

The new lease of life for the paper mill site was announced on the first anniversary of the closure of the plant which resulted in the loss of 371 jobs.

The plan for the green energy plant is being spearheaded by Preston-based Integrated Energy Systems (IES) and is expected to lead to the creation of a total of 150 direct and indirect jobs.

Dr John O'Shea, the managing director of IES, said it was planned to produce a total of 31 megawatts – enough to power a third of the homes in Aberdeen – at a solids and liquids biomass plant at the Inverurie site, processing both timber and natural oils such as rape seed and palm oil.

Once completed, the plant will employ up to 60 people and up to another 100 on ancillary services.

Dr O'Shea said: "We will build our energy centre first and have the energy available and then seek to attract a data centre. We would need about 20 megawatts of power for that data centre.

"And, if the data centre did happen, it would be another 100m investment and another 100 people employed."

Dr O'Shea said IES was already in discussions with a number of data processing companies about the possibility of harnessing power from the biomass plant.

Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister and the local MSP for Gordon, said the announcement had taken Inverurie a significant step forward towards the goal of regenerating the entire paper mill site.