A COMPANY that wants to burn cow fat to create "green" energy has begun the task of persuading the authorities to approve use of the controversial fuel.

SembCorp Utilities Teesside, which operates Wilton Power Station, wants to use tallow - rendered fat - from cattle culled as part of the Over Thirty Month Scheme introduced in 1996 to support the beef market in the wake of the BSE crisis.

The company needs permission from the Environment Agency (EA) to carry out an initial five-week trial. If that proves successful, it would then want to burn approximately 100,000 tonnes of tallow from next year.

There is enough fat to generate power for 18 months, after which the company hopes to expand its renewable energy plans.

The Singapore-owned firm is negotiating with the Government's Rural Payment's Agency to buy the rendered animal fat, which has been in storage on Merseyside and near London since 1996.

The tallow will be transported to Wilton by road, with 12 tankers a day expected, five days a week, for more than a year.

Before this can happen, the company must persuade the EA that it is a worthwhile and safe project.

David Tarttelin, EA regulatory officer, said: "The agency has decided to treat the application as a substantial variation to its licence because the power station has not previously been authorised to burn any type of waste."

The EA has 14 days to decide if the application can go forward to a full investigation.

If it does, the application document will be available for public consultation from July 29, with consultation ongoing until the end of August.