The ancient village of Whithorn, with occupation evidence stretching back into the 4th century AD, nevertheless has a fairly modern housing estate clustered around its southern gateway. There are many dairy farms in the surrounding hinterland, a large piggery not too far away, a poultry unit on the doorstep, a yoghurt factory and a fish processing plant within reach. Altogether, a rich blend of slurry effluents for digestion to produce methane, which can be used to generate electricity, and lots of waste heat to build into a district heating scheme for the housing estate. These digesters are common in Denmark and Sweden, ranging in size from single-farm units to power stations large enough to serve a market town.
There's one working in Devon, near the village of Holsworthy, with a yearly total gas produced target of 3.9 million cubic metres methane gas which will power 2 gas engines to produce heat and electricity. The Electricity produced should be 14.4 million KwH per year and the capacity of the generators is 2.1 MW. The heat in the form of heated water will be supplied to local hospital premises, the local school, and local housing, will amount to 15 million KwH. A similar plant in Whithorn would be rather smaller than that.
Update February 2007 - Holsworthy Biogas Boost
A Project to provide cheap heat in Holsworthy has received a £600,000 boost. The grant, from the Energy Saving Trust, could help to create affordable warmth in an area where there is no mains gas. The money would be used to set up a heat network based around the Holsworthy Biogas power plant - and a community company would be formed to manage the network.
Torridge District Council has acted on behalf of the Holsworthy Market and Coastal Town Initiative, which instigated the scheme but as a community group is ineligible to apply for funding itself. The Council joined forces with the South West Regional Development Agency in a bid to the Government-backed Community Energy Programme. There is, however, still a long way to go before the project becomes a reality.
VanessaSaunders, Head of Regeneration, said: "The funding is really positive news, but several obstacles still have to be overcome. Additional funding still has to be found and applications need to be made to the Regional Development Agency and other interested parties to enable the project to go ahead."
The Biogas plant, which opened in 2001, takes cattle slurry and food waste from local farms and businesses and processes it to make methane, which is used in turbines to create electricity. Currently, the plant produces two by-products - fertiliser used by farmers who make significant savings each year; and heat.
It has always been the intention to use this "heat" for local buildings. Council houses most affected by fuel poverty would be targeted for the low-cost fuel and public buildings would also benefit.
For further media enquiries, please contact Kate How, Communications and Consultation Manager, on 01237 428772, email kate,how@torridge.gov.ukor Jim Hopkins on 01237 428789, email jim.hopkins@torridge.gov.uk
A smaller-scale (340KW) biogas plant in Dorset
Broadcast on Radio 4 - On Your Farm - 25 Feb 2007
Lowbrook Farm
Belchalwell
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 0EQ
T: 01258 472528 F: 01258 471554
- 400 Acre farm
- 3 Dairy farms on same site
- Herd of 420 cows sharing labour & machinery
- 1600 acres arable shared supplying Wessex Grain storage & Drying
- Bioethanol from wheat
- Biogas from crops, including slurry, starting this spring (2007)
- First crop-powered biogas plant in the UK - Fed with slurry and silage mixed
- Producing 340KW electricity and feeding the grid - Grid connection cost £7500
- 3 month build time: Full production within 9 months: Return on investment 'over 15%'
Any takers, Whithorn?
