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The new 21.5MW Ince Bio Power biomass plant in Cheshire has begun generating electricity.

The power station is owned by the Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (BIG) and is the first active facility at Peel Environmental’s £700 million Protos energy hub.

“As one of BIG’s first investments in the bioenergy sector, this major achievement at Ince Bio Power, and within the Protos hub, is an important step in delivering our wider strategy of generating more than 200MW of low carbon power from waste,” said BIG commercial director Neil Bennett.

BIG has so far invested in more than 20 energy projects, including seven biomass and energy-from-waste plants. The company acquired stakes in most of the projects from the Green Investment Group last year.

The Protos hub is located within the newly created Energy Innovation District near Ellesmere Port in between Manchester and Liverpool.

Protos development director Jane Gaston commented: “Our first occupier generating low-carbon energy from site is a major milestone for Protos. It symbolises investor confidence in the energy destination we’re creating in the North West and follows our neighbouring wind farm coming on stream last year.

“We continue to invest in utilities infrastructure that will significantly increase our ability to import and export power from Protos and are looking forward to securing further energy-related tenants on the surrounding consented plots.”