Mr Barker was given a tour of the new facility by Tamar Energy chairman Alan Lovell. The Energy Minister heard about how the plant extracts energy from feedstocks such as chicken litter before unveiling a plaque to mark its official opening. The plant also produces a nutrient-rich biofertiliser which can be used in place of costly fossil fuel-based fertilisers. The heat generated by the plant will be used to dry woodchips for sale to the Drax biomass power station in North Yorkshire.
The 3MW facility is the UK’s largest on-farm AD plant to date and will take agricultural waste, manures and maize from local suppliers in nearby areas of Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire. The biogas will be converted on-site to generate enough renewable electricity to power 6,000 homes which will then be exported to the UK national grid.
“Energy from waste is an essential part of the energy mix, it’s a win-win – helping to drive low carbon energy and helping reduce bills for hardworking consumers” Mr Barker said. “Tamar Energy’s new Anaerobic Digestion plant is the largest facility of its kind in the UK and is a great example of how waste can be used to powering homes and businesses across the country. That’s why we have put a range of financial incentives in place to encourage other organisations to rise to the challenge.”
Alan Lovell added that the launch of the plant by the Energy Minister is a clear sign of the government’s commitment to supporting AD in the UK, recognising the benefits that the technology can bring to the country’s renewable energy mix.
The Retford plant is a joint venture between Tamar Energy and Sutton Grange Anaerobic Digestion and is located on a 2,500 acre family farm in Nottinghamshire. It is the latest facility in Tamar Energy’s expanding UK-wide AD network which so far consists of three operational plants, two in construction and a number of other sites in advanced stages of development. Tamar Energy is aiming for a generation capacity of 100MW from the AD network when it is complete.
For additional information:
