Iberdrola Renewables begins construction of 26.8MW biomass plant in US

Spanish renewable energy company has begun construction of the 26.8MW biomass power facility in Lakeview, Oregon

The plant is located in Lake County, a rural area in the eastern part of the state of Oregon, and will generate electricity from forestry biomass to be obtained from cleaning and pruning operations in the southern and eastern Oregon forests.

The facility is due to be commissioned by the end of 2012 and is the company's first forestry biomass power plant in the US.

A total of 200 jobs will be created during the construction and start up phases, as well as another 20 for operations and maintenance at the plant, and a further 50 related to managing transporting and storing the biomass.

Iberdrola Renewables has already commissioned a forestry biomass plant in Corduente, Spain, which will serve as a benchmark for the construction, commissioning and gathering of biomass in this project in the US, the company said.