Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has suspended part of the permitted operations at the Kronospan factory near Chirk after monitoring revealed emissions had exceeded permitted levels, reports Bioenergy Insight.
Kronospan, one of the largest employers in North Wales, runs a major wood panel manufacturing facility on the outskirts of the town. While the plant provides employment to hundreds of people in the area, local residents have for years expressed concerns about emissions from the site, which operates under an environmental permit.
NRW said recent monitoring results showed that emission levels at the factory were above the limits set out in the permit. The issue has been traced to a biomass boiler, known as Boiler K7, which supplies heat and steam for the manufacturing process.
The boiler is permitted to burn waste wood materials such as bark, cork, sawdust and certain by-products produced at the site. NRW has suspended the permitted activity linked to this boiler while investigations are carried out to identify the cause of the exceedances.
An NRW spokesperson said the company is required to carry out regular emissions monitoring and submit the data for assessment. The spokesperson said the regulator reviews this information to ensure operations remain within environmental limits, adding that recent submissions showed the required standards had not been met. As a result, the activity responsible for the emissions has been suspended and will remain so until full compliance can be assured.
Kronospan said it is following the suspension order and is cooperating with the regulator. A company spokesperson said the firm is complying with the notice issued by NRW in relation to the boiler at its Chirk site and is working with the authorities during the investigation. The company said it would not comment further while the process is ongoing.
NRW said the action was taken to protect the environment and that the suspended operations will only be allowed to resume once the company can demonstrate that it is meeting all permit conditions.
