Campaigners get fired up over Leith Biomass power plant

Yesterday (17 February) we got to meet local Leith residents, who are up in arms about Forth Energy’s plan to build a new power plant at the Leith Docks. The plant will burn millions of tonnes of imported wood and is likely to increase local air pollution.

We ran a stall to raise awareness about the

plant, although people seem to be very clued up already, thanks to the hard work of the No Leith Biomass Plant campaign. I certainly learned a lot about how a biomass plant will affect

the local area.

Members of the public signed over 70 letters of objection to the government. People are worried about the plant for all sorts of reasons ranging from how it will impact on air pollution, to how it will affect forests overseas.

It is important that people do not believe the greenwash behind large-scale biomass.

Forth Energy claims the plant will be “a positive symbol of a modern, green and vibrant city.” But if it goes ahead, the Leith plant, taken together with Forth Energy’s plans for three other plants across Scotland, will require 4-5m tonnes of timber each year, most of which will be imported. There is no guarantee that the timber will be sourced from sustainable forests.

FoES campaigner Hannah Kitchen said: “Forth Energy is selling the plant as eco-friendly. But at this scale, the four plants will significantly increase the UK’s demand for wood. The pressure this may place on forests and people relying on them is a real cause for concern.”

Robin Johnson, a local resident, said: “I don’t think that a large biomass plant is the answer. I’m sceptical about biomass – I think that it’s greenwash.”

John Wailes, another Leith resident, commented: “I’m absolutely stunned that they would want to do this. It’s going to change Edinburgh completely. It’s going to be an absolute blight on Leith. It’s not going to be the Leith I know.”

Please object to the Leith Biomass Plant before 11 March. Take action here