The Deputy Prime Minister has visited energy firm E.ON's Blackburn Meadows biomass facility in Sheffield, as the 30MW facility nears completion.

Blackburn Meadows is now in the final stages of construction and is due to be fully commissioned later this year. The plant will be the third biomass plant in E.ON UK's generation portfolio and will convert locally sourced recycled waste wood into electricity helping to reduce the impact energy generation has on the environment.

Work commenced on Blackburn Meadows in 2011 and since then, around 3,400 people have been involved in the construction process, including a number of local contractors. This has helped ensure around £15 million of investment has stayed locally and the plant will continue to support the local economy by creating more than 30 full time jobs.

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When the plant is fully operational, a community benefits fund worth up to £25,000 a year will be put in place, supporting local projects throughout the lifetime of the plant. An onsite visitor centre will be officially opened later this autumn, which will demonstrate how energy is produced and highlight the industrial heritage of the site.

Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP said: "As a local Sheffield MP I'm particularly proud that our city can look forward to being powered by 30MW of low-carbon, green energy thanks to this development. This is particularly important in the context of hitting our targets to reduce emissions and make our energy production more secure.

"Around 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be displaced every year, the equivalent of taking more than 20,000 cars off the UK's roads. E.ON's Blackburn Meadows biomass facility is a significant step to make Sheffield a greener and more sustainable city."

(CD/MH)