Monday 19 May 2008

Energetic brothers on quest

Newcastle Herald
Tuesday 6/5/2008 Page: 18

NEWCASTLE could become a centre of excellence for biomass energy generation if the right investor can be found. Chemical engineers and brothers David and Andrew Cork have spent the past five years developing a biomass micro power station using waste to energy gasification technology.

The plant, based at Cardiff, can generate 140 kilowatts, enough electricity to power 14 houses. David Cork said yesterday Corky's Sustainable Energy was seeking an investor that would allow a full-scale plant capable of generating 7,50 kilowatts to be built for about $3 million. Several US and Indian investors have expressed interest in the project.

"We want to stay local but the difficulty we have is that no one locally wants to invest in biomass and renewables, because they are new," David Cork said. "How can we move ahead without doing something new'? "The difficulty we are running into is not technical but a lack of understanding of where the market is going."

David Cork said a fully operational plant could provide the energy needs of a small town wanting to generate its own renewable energy. "CSE plants can be serviced locally, as well as having opportunity for local ownership of power generation plants, to support local communities and their economies," he said.

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