Richard Clinnick writing in Rail magazine reports that :
Are the new hoppers a continuation order for the WH Davis design now used on the Drax services?“GB Railfreight has signed a haulage contract with Lynemouth Power Limited (LPL). The deal includes an order for 50 new purpose built high capacity biomass hopper wagons.
The new hoppers are estimated to enter traffic on October 1. GBRf plans to run 27 trains per week, delivering over 37,000 tonnes per week. The trains will run between Port of Tyne and Lynemouth Power Station.
The contract is part of a ten-year investment project for the power station. GBRf previously operated coal services to Lynemouth power station when it was owned by RWE npower. The last coal train into the station was April 2015”.
In May 2016 Biomass Journal reported
“The U.K.-based Port of Tyne has announced plans to start building new facilities to handle, store and transport wood pellets for Lynemouth Power Ltd. According to information released by the port, LPL is making good progress with its plan to convert from coal to biomass.
The port said it has secured the agreement to handle, store and transport up to 1.8 million metric tons of wood pellets annually once the conversion is complete.
According to the port, construction has begun on its estate at the Tyne Dock in South Shields to build a 75,000 metric ton storage facility, three enclosed conveyors and transfer towers, three silos, a rail loading silo and other works. The Port of Tyne is contributing £13 million ($18.99 million), with the majority of the investment being made by LPL.
The announcement of the new contract with LPL was made at the port’s annual general meeting on May 19. According to the port, it achieved turnover of £59 million and profit before taxes of £6 million last year, despite the dramatic reduction in coal imports to the U.K.
"The fast approaching end of coal imports has been challenging for all U.K. ports that have been handling this cargo, but the strategy of diversification at the Port ensures that we are not reliant on any one sector,” said Andrew Moffat, CEO of the Port of Tyne. “We have been at the forefront of developing expertise and facilities to handle the renewable fuel, wood pellet, and I am delighted that LPL have chosen the Port of Tyne as a key partner in this significant development.”
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