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Biogas company eyes second site
BLACKPOOL-based renewable energy company Farmgen has earmarked a farm for a new environmentally-friendly power generation scheme.
Dryholme Farm, in Silloth, Cumbria, has been purchased with a view to creating an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant.
It is hoped the development, if it is given the go-ahead, will help the UK tackle climate change.
Farmgen, which is set to build a similar project near Blackpool, hopes the Cumbrian scheme will provide a boost to the rural economy, as well as helping Britain reduce carbon emissions and increase its future security of energy supply.
The plant will use animal slurries, grass silage and other crops from fields surrounding the farm to create biogas, which is then used to generate electricity.
Plans are at an early stage, but the scheme is expected to be broadly similar to Farmgen's Lancashire project at Carr Farm, near Warton, which is costing 2.5m.
Ed Cattigan, chief operating officer of Farmgen, said: "Cumbria is a strong farming county and potentially a very important area for AD, particularly as diversification has become a key issue in rural communities.
"The county seemed the next logical move for us and we are hopeful of introducing AD plants elsewhere in the county.
"At this stage it is too early to say how many, but we are certainly interested in hearing from other farmers who want to learn about what AD energy generation could mean for them.
"Any plans which we progress with will support the rural economy, bring
redundant fields back into production and create an eco-friendly plant that will not be intrusive to people living in the area."
Work is due to start on the facility at Carr Farm in spring.
Mr Cattigan said: "Similar plants are commonplace in Northern Europe, with more than 4,000 running in Germany, providing benefits for their local communities."
Bosses at Farmgen believe AD schemes could play a pivotal role in helping rural regeneration and farm diversification across the UK, following the decline in traditional farming over recent years.
Subject to planning consent, the initial plant could generate between 800KW and 1MW of electricity, depending on availability of locally sourced material.
The electricity would be exported to the National Grid, providing enough continuous electricity for more than 1,000 homes.
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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