An attempt is being made in Brussels to rescue an environmentally-friendly power station in North Yorkshire.

The Arbre project based at Eggborough near Selby was designed to burn willow grown locally by farmers.

Production of electricity was supposed to start next year but last month the company behind the scheme went into liquidation with the loss of 40 jobs.

Now one of the Labour MEPs for Yorkshire and the Humber, David Bowe, is trying to get the European Commission to put together a rescue package.

David Bowe says the plant must be saved

Arbre was orginally owned by the Kelda Group which also owns Yorkshire Water.

In April 2000 it sold its green energy division to Energy Power Resources Ltd (EPRL).

But Kelda agreed to continue funding the plant as long as it was considered viable.

That funding was stopped in July of this year and EPRL moved to shut the plant.

Minority stake

Mr Bowe says he hopes a meeting can take place within the next three weeks to plan a way forward.

He anticipates it will be attended by representatives from Swedish firm TPS which owns a minority stake in Arbre.

Also invited is the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, as well as the UK government.

Mr Bowe says Arbre is a project of Euuropean importance.

Wood chip

"We have flagship wood burning power station here in Yorkshire and it is of crucial importance that it continues," he said.

"I am optimistic that something can be put together."

Also hoping that that the plant can be rescued are the Yorkshire farrmers who have been growing acres and acres of willow which was due to be turned into wood chips to fuel the power station.