ENVIRONMENT (general)

1.        Is the plant carbon neutral?

Yes. When compared with a coal fired plant each Gaia plant will save around 430,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum

2.        What does that mean in layman’s terms?

We will not be emitting carbon trapped in fossil fuels. In basic terms the carbon dioxide that is emitted from burning the wood is then reabsorbed by living trees, some of which in time are used for making things like furniture, windows etc. These will ultimately be our fuel when those items reach the end of their useful lives.  Our plant will not be emitting the carbon which was trapped in fossil fuels millions of years ago, the release of which suddenly now is widely recognised to be responsible for global warming.

3.        How can wood be clean when it is potentially contaminated and gives off harmful gases, which are essentially the same as those given off during the burning of fossil fuels?

Carbon dioxide is essential to the “carbon cycle” of life.  Scientists believe it is causing harm now only because the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is too great and this has disturbed the earth’s delicately balanced ecosystem.   Ours is a natural cycle to help re-balance the earth’s carbon cycle.  People want new furniture, etc from trees and we take their old furniture and use that to produce power, leaving more coal in the ground together with its trapped carbon. The plant will be operated within strict limits that will restrict the amounts of other pollutant gases such as NOx to levels acceptable to the Environment Agency.

The wood will be segregated, inspected and tested prior to burning to ensure that it contains limited or no contaminants that might otherwise result in more harmful emissions.