Power station plan for Chirk factory
A factory on the Shropshire/Welsh border wants to build its own power station to ensure it has its own supply if the National Grid fails.
Kronospan of Chirk, has applied for planning permission to install gas engines, boilers and a sub-station.
It says that having an independent, reliable power supply will help secure the future of the site. It would also reduce costs and make the company more competitive.
The company deals with multi-density fibre board, is one of the largest employees in the region with 600 staff.
As part of the planning application submitted to Wrexham County Borough Council, a report from Kronospan says: "In order to safeguard against the fragility of the local grid, Kronospan is seeking to put in place measures to enable the plant to operate independently from the local electricity grid."
The company already has a biomass plant which it says provides "a significant proportion" of its power demands.
"However the manufacturing side is still reliant on drawing electricity from the grid," the report says.
"The provision of the new gas engines and the associated sub-station would enable Kronospan to operate independently from the local electricity network."
As well as employing 600 people directly at the factory in the centre of Chirk the company says that it is also helps retain 2,500 jobs in the area.
