Steven's Croft is a wood fired (biomass) power station near Lockerbie in Scotland. It started energy production in 2008. It is operated by EON and is the largest biomass power station in the UK. It produces 44 MW of electricity, and burns 60% waste from timber production, 20% coppiced wood, and 20% recycled fibre.
A.W. Jenkinson acquired land at the Steven’s Croft Development Area just off the M74 at Lockerbie in the year 2000. At the time the adjacent site was occupied by James Jones Sawmills and Forest Garden. These two large sawmilling businesses were already associated with A.W. Jenkinson, making the location an ideal choice for development in support of the Scottish timber industry.
In 2005 Powergen (now E.ON) took control of a section of the Lockerbie site for the construction by Siemens of a revolutionary 44 Megawatt CO2-neutral biomass power station. Alongside the power station there is now a large-scale log yard and round wood chipping building, where new material is combined with pre-chipped biomass to achieve a final blend that meets the ideal specification to feed the station. The chipping building feeds directly into the power plant via an overhead conveyor.
A.W. Jenkinson, which is responsible for supplying fuel to the site, has built a close working relationship with E.ON; a key factor in achieving maximum efficiency from the new facility. Steven’s Croft has become a lynch pin in A.W. Jenkinson’s Scottish operations, collecting material from most of the sawmills in Scotland, as well as servicing other major biomass and panelboard customers. The transport department makes extensive use of local drivers, providing a good source of employment for the Dumfries and Galloway area.