UK: First biogas plant for 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.

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.