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UK: First biogas plant for Cornwall
The first contract for an EnviTec biogas plant in the
UK has been signed by a farming company in Cornwall.
Subject to planning permission and finance, E H & B Dymond & Son will
be commissioning an 844 kW plant at Penare Farm, Higher Fraddon, near Truro,
where there is a 600-sow farrow-to-finish unit. It will cost in the region of
£2m (€2.6m).
The plant, to be managed by a new company, Fraddon Biopower Ltd, will process
all the slurry from the pig unit as well as accepting waste from local food
processing firms. In addition, the use of home-grown maize, from the Dymond's
600-acre arable enterprise near Truro, is being considered. Glycerol, the
by-product of bio-diesel production, may also be used.
The electricity, produced on a continuous basis, will be eligible for a
supplementary Government payment of about 4p (€0.05) per kWh and known as a
single ROC (Renewables Obligation Certificate). However, 'green' electricity
from biogas plants is likely to be eligible for double ROC from April, 2008,
making a significant impact on potential profit.
Bio-fertiliser
An additional processing plant is also
planned. This will separate solids from the liquid residue to produce water and
a concentrated bio-fertiliser, reducing the need for transportation of
waste.
In addition to planning permission, the biogas plant requires an
Environmental Impact Assessment, involving several consultants, currently being
undertaken. With the emphasis on renewable energy resources, county councils and
the Environment Agency are normally very positive regarding this sort of
development, say EnviTec Biogas UK.
Related website:
• EnviTec Biogas
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