More than 100 firefighters are battling a 'severe' blaze at Europe's biggest biomass power station after a fire started in a fuel storage area this morning.
All employees at Tilbury Power Station, situated on the Thames estuary, in Essex, have been accounted for since the fire broke out.
The station is now closed while 120 firefighters battle the blaze. Essex County Fire & Rescue Service has also dispatched 15 engines and three aerial ladder platforms to the scene.
About 100 firefighters have been dispatched to tackle the severe fire at Tilbury Power Station, which broke out this morning
Smoke billows from Tilbury power station after fire broke out earlier today
From the sky: The scene from above as hundreds of firefighters are tackling a blaze at Tilbury Power Station after thousands of tonnes of wood pellets caught fire
The 'green' station was recently converted from a coal-fired power station to run on 100 per cent renewable biomass fuel from wood pellets as part of the UK's bid to meet climate change targets.
It is believed the blaze started in a fuel storage area containing 4,000 tonnes of crushed wood in a part of the site that has 2,100 tonnes of heavy machinery.
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service were called to the power station at about 7.46am this morning with 15 fire engines and three aerial ladder platforms in attendance.
Tilbury Power Station is located to the east of Tilbury docks on the River Thames in Essex
Incident commander, Chief Fire Officer David Johnson, said the blaze was one of the most challenging he had dealt with in his 20-year career.
Mr Johnson said firefighting operations have been made difficult by the fact the fire is high up in the main structure of the building making it hard for crews to reach it.
At around 10.30am firefighters started putting foam on to the blaze while fire officers went up in Essex Police's helicopter to get an aerial view of the site and to pinpoint 'hotspots'.
He said: 'The fire involves 4-6,000 tonnes of biomass high up in the power station building. The fuel goes into vats and is taken into the plant on a conveyor belt.
'The fuel cells are designed to carry dry fuel so pouring water on to them and making them significantly heavier could potentially damage the structure of the building.
'There is an added complication that when the cells get wet, then dried by the fire, a crust will develop, making it impossible for more water to penetrate the fire underneath. That's why we are looking to use foam.
'Crews are faced with extremely difficult access as the fire is in one of the highest points of the building.
'Their safety remains our primary concern but firefighters are doing an excellent job and we very much appreciate the technical assistance being provided by the power station's own staff.
The fire service said the incident at Tilbury Power Station could continue for several more hours or even days
'The fire is not yet under control but we have the best equipment in the country in Essex and that is being used to maximum effect. We expect this to be a protracted incident going on for some hours, if not days.'
Witnesses have said the flames engulfed the building in minutes with plumes of smoke visible for miles around.
Eyewitness Robert Richards, said: 'The whole of that north block just went completely up in flames.
'It was on two sides that I could see. My daughter could see it from the other side of the river.'
Eyewitness Nigel Carpenter, 44, added: 'I could not believe my eyes when I first saw it.
'The smoke has been billowing into the sky all morning. I am just glad that everyone is okay as it could have been awful because it seemed to go up so quickly.'
Tilbury Power Station opened in 1969.
It previously operated as a coal-fired power station but has recently been converted to generate power from 100 per cent sustainable biomass - providing power to almost 1.5million people.
Tilbury was converted to run on sustainable biomass to help UK meet climate change targets - with claims it will deliver 10 per cent of the UK’s total renewable energy output in 2012.
Biomass plants burn wood pellets, generally made from compacted sawdust or other wastes from sawmilling and other manufactured wood products.
Sky News: Footage of the blaze at Tibury Power Station this morning
Firefighters at Tilbury Power Station have said all workers at the site have now been accounted for
Flames at Tilbury Power Station were so intense this morning that firefighters couldn't get close enough to immediately tackle the blaze
All members of RWE npower staff made their way safely from the building and there are no reports of any injuries.
A spokesman for RWE npower, which owns the power station, said: 'A fire broke out at 7.45am this morning in a fuel storage area at Tilbury power station.
'The health and safety of our employees is our absolute priority and all have been accounted for.
'The fire brigade and police are currently on site. We will issue more details when they become available.'
Tilbury had operated as a coal-fired power station until recently when it was converted to run on renewable biomass fuel to help the UK reach its climate change targets
Residents in the Tilbury area have been told there is no danger from the smoke but have been advised to close their windows until the blaze is out.
There are no plans to evacuate residents and the only road closure currently in place is on the access route to the power station.
It is thought the building may have suffered structural damage in the blaze.
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