Taoiseach Enda Kenny pictured on site last October with Gerard Crotty, chairman, Mayo Renewable Power.PHOTO: HENRY WILLS.

Setback for Mayo biomass plant

KILLALA-based plant, Mayo Renewable Power, has issued a suspension notice to its main contractor, it has been confirmed.

This was due to an inability to conclude the financing, according to a report this evening on Midwest Radio.

In a statement issued to the station, the company said that the American backers of Mayo Renewable Power have already spent €90 million on the project, which was beyond the equity originally contemplated and had committed to further spending.

Mayo Renewable Power hopes to use the suspension period to review its options to be able to complete the project.

It was reported last year that up to 350 construction jobs were being created during the construction stage of the biomass power station on the site of the old Asahi factory.

The plant is expected to be fueled by woodchip biomass and produce enough electricity to power 68,000 homes.

The overall investment was estimated at €180 million.