A new £8 million anaerobic digestion facility is under development in County Durham.
It will be the north east’s first commercial waste facility and is set to launch in the next few months.
Following the completion of the foundation works, construction of the buildings is now also complete and the installation of the AD process equipment is planned for late January with commissioning due to start in March.
Moreover, Emerald Biogas is confident that the facility will start utilising food waste and producing heat and power from May onwards.
The company plans for the facility to be fully operational by July and once at full capacity will generate 1.56MW from 50,000 tonnes of food waste per year.
Emerald Biogas director Antony Warren said: “This is an exciting time for the team at Emerald Biogas and each day sees a new development on site.
“Once up and running, the facility will be the only one of its kind in the region and capable of not only providing renewable heat and electricity for neighbouring industrial companies, but also producing quality fertiliser from the digestate for use by the local agricultural community.
“We hope the facility will further boost the region’s reputation as a hub for renewable energy, as well as an economic boost for the local area.”
Excess heat from the facility will be used across the Aycliffe Industrial Estate, where the facility is located.
