Cumbrian farmers to generate own energy through biogas plan

http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=2580§ion=Bioenergy%20%26%20Waste">Cumbrian farmers to generate own energy through biogas plan

Farmers in Cumbria are teaming up to develop anaerobic digestion facilities to generate their own renewable energy from agricultural waste.

Community Renewable Energy North West (CoRE NW), a group based in Workington, plans to set up a number of co-operatives to develop the plants, which will produce electricity and heat from farmers' manure and silage.

The first plant is to be developed at Middle Farm in Silloth, in the north west of the county, and could secure planning permission next spring. A feasibility study is currently under way, with 10 farmers interested in getting involved.

Hopes are that the £3.5 million digester could be commissioned by the end of 2010, producing just under 1MW of power - around seven million kWh units a year, or enough electricity to supply about 2,000 homes.

Plans are to use heat produced by the facility in the farm's four large chicken sheds, as well as to the next-door cement block factory.

Social enterprise NRG NorthEast Renewables Group is to supply and install the digester, subject to planning permission, with technology expected to be supplied by German biogas company Biogas Hochreiter.

The project will see local farmers owning the new anaerobic digester along with CoRE NW itself, while NRG will be a minor stakeholder.

...


CoRE NW said it would now work with other interested communities to set up renewable energy systems, including wood heating, solar panels and water turbines as well as anaerobic digestion technology.

Keith Richardson of CoRE NW explained: "We will take a stake in the Middle Farm digester and use the profits it generates to help more farmers set up others in Aspatria, Kirkbride and Southwaite."

http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=2580§ion=Bioenergy%20%26%20Waste">There's more...