PEOPLE will be able to ask questions about a new Portland power plant that could be using rubber tyres instead of palm oil in the first stage of its development.

W4B have applied to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to amend the feedstock for their proposed plant at Portland Port to permit the use of rubber crumb, created from old car tyres, as an alternative to palm oil during the first phase of development.

The conversion of the tyres into crumb will take place away from Portland. From this W4B hopes to create an interim plant that will convert the crumb into synthetic diesel and LPG and will generate six megawatts of renewable energy and said there will be no emissions and no smell from the plant.

Work to prepare the site for construction began earlier this year, which could provide enough power for 3,000 homes.

This Saturday representatives from W4B will be available to answer any questions people have about the change of consent.

Currently the company’s planning consent only allows it to use vegetable oil as feedstock.

Speaking when the plans to change the planning permission were announced, chairman of W4B Chris Slack said the amendment would mean the plant wouldn’t import vegetable oil for the immediate future.

He said that currently the price of palm oil was ‘right at the top of its price band’, but added that the hope was long-term to convert to palm oil.

Mr Slack said that the plant would help to solve a ‘major problem’ for local councils – disposing of used car tyres that are no longer permitted at landfill and ‘positively contribute’ towards Dorset’s waste disposal strategy and its renewable energy targets.

But South and West Dorset Green Party officer Jane Burnet said there were more questions to be answered and urged people to attend the meeting on Saturday.

The Green Party will be asking their questions from 10.30am and Ms Burnet said that campaign group No Oil Palm Energy (NOPE) would also be attending.

She said: “We feel there are a lot of uncertainties, because there appear to be these last minute changes for reasons we don’t completely understand.

“We are concerned and therefore we have questions we would like to ask and we would like as many people as possible to hear those questions.”

People will be able to talk about the new technology at Britannia Passenger Terminal at Portland Port between 10am and 2pm tomorrow.

The company has been sending out leaflets explaining the new plans to people on Portland.