ENGIE has submitted plans to North Yorkshire Council to develop an agricultural Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility in the north of England.
The facility is proposed to the east of the A162, Bond Ings, Sherburn-in-Elmet, following a consultation with the local community and stakeholders this autumn.
It will sit alongside the existing Low Farm AD facility and new woodland planting, taking agricultural feedstocks and wastes from local farms and turning theminto renewable gas via AD.
As well as creating green gas, reducing reliance on imported natural gas, the site will work in partnership with local farmers to give them a regular source of income whilst reducing their carbon footprint.
It also supports day to day farming activities by providing digestate, a byproduct of the AD process and a natural fertiliser that replaces artificial and expensive alternatives.
Stuart Rennie, Managing Director of Renewable Gases UK at Engie, said farm waste in the local area is currently largely spread to land which releases carbon into the atmosphere.
He said, “Our plans would instead see it used to generate a local supply of green gas which is all part of our national mission to make farming more sustainable and support the UK’s decarbonisation journey.
“We’ve worked hard to develop a really robust planning application which is supported by various technical assessments that show how the facility will be operated without impacting on the local area.”
The proposal is being brought forward in response to the UK’s legally binding target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Part of the challenge will be reducing the carbon footprint of both the UK’s energy consumption and agricultural sector, something North Yorkshire Council is addressing with its adopted Climate Change Strategy.
North Yorkshire Council is expected to make a decision on the plans early in the new year. If approved, work is anticipated to start by summer 2025.
German manufacturer Weltec Biopower recently announced it has been commissioned by English recycling company Eco Sustainable Solutions to build a biomethane plant near Bournemouth Airport.
Eco Sustainable will operate the plant itself and fill the stainless steel tanks with household waste and agricultural residues from nearby businesses and its own farms. The site will feature two 5,579 cubic metre digesters, storage tank and two pre-storage tanks.
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