PLYMOUTH is on a shortlist of locations for a biomass power plant that would be supplied by a fleet of revolutionary new low carbon cargo ships.

The city is one of several ports around the UK that renewable energy firm B9 Energy is considering as a base for a biomass combined heat and power station.

Plans are at an early stage with B9 working with the University of Plymouth and Plymouth City Development Company to investigate the feasibility of the scheme.

The company has stressed that unless the Government goes ahead with the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive — designed to provide financial support for schemes that use renewables instead of fossil fuels for heating — the plants would not be viable.

B9 Energy managing director David Surplus said there had so far been a "very positive" response to the idea in the city. "We are doing quite a bit of work with the University of Plymouth, and on the basis of wider discussions going on, it's becoming a bit of a pilot study," he said.

If the scheme did go ahead, it could give the city an opportunity to position itself as a "clean" shipping specialist.

"There is the prospect that Plymouth could become a world leader in clean energy shipping which would help to put us on the map," said Matthew Cross, director of marketing and inward investment at Plymouth City Development Company.

B9 has already undertaken a feasibility study for a biomass combined heat and power plant at Larne harbour, in Northern Ireland.

Plans for such a development in Plymouth are less advanced, with an initial meeting due to take place in October with representatives of B9, the University of Plymouth and Plymouth City Council.

Subject to a positive outcome of this meeting, there would then be economic and environmental reports.

A site has yet to be identified but Mr Surplus said it would need a waterside site, with brownfield former industrial sites ideal locations.

The business is also looking for a development partner — possibly a land owner or large energy user — to help it move the scheme forward.

If the company did decide to go ahead with the plant in Plymouth, it would take up to four years before it was up-and-running.

With many of the UK's ageing coal-fired and nuclear power stations due to shut in 2015, there are increasing concerns about how this power shortfall will be made up.

Biomass plants have been identified as an important part of this, with experts saying that it could provide between 15 and 17 per cent of the UK's electrical demand by 2010.

A criticism is that fossil fuels are used in the transportation of large quantities of wood chip and other biomass products. B9's idea is to ensure this is rendered carbon neutral by designing a revolutionary new type of cargo ship that derives 60 per cent of its power from wind and 40 per cent from a bio gas fuelled engine.

The idea is that a fleet of these 3,000 tonne ships could transport biomass materials