THE planting of a fast-growing species of tree that will create jobs in the region began yesterday.
Sembcorp Utilities, the owners of a power station at the Wilton International site, on Teesside, are planning to burn the willow to provide environmentally-friendly power for the industrial site.
The company farmers and forestry managers, have joined forces to encourage farmers to plant willow throughout the region.
The move is expected to create and sustain jobs in sectors from farming to power generation.
Willow, classed as a renewable fuel, will replace coal and oil at the station.
A plantation at Elton, near Stockton, will provide about 55,000 tonnes of the 300,000 tonnes of wood that will be needed for the £45m Wilton 10 wood burning boiler at Wilton Power Station.
Other wood will come from sawmills, forestry cuttings and recycling operations. The new boiler is expected to be operational in 2007.
Wilton Power Station provides the steam and electricity needed by many of the blue-chip manufacturing companies at Wilton, including Huntsman, Invista, Dow and DuPontSA.
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