Specialist contractors are expected to register interest in a £500m biomass project to be built on Teesside.

The Tees Renewable Energy Plant is likely to attract an international line-up, with big firms such as BAM Nuttall and Balfour Beatty looking to work on the civil aspects of the massive scheme.

The plant is set to create 600 construction jobs and work on site for MGT Power is likely to begin early in 2010.

At 295MW capacity and with the ability to power up to 600,000 homes, the plant will be one of the largest-ever to be built in the world and one of the biggest renewable energy projects.