A new multi-million pound biogas plant in West Dorset which will turn food waste into energy has been declared open.
Councillor Hilary Cox, Chairman of Dorset Waste Partnership Joint Committee, cut a ribbon – appropriately coloured green – to mark the official start of operations at Eco Sustainable Solutions’ £3.3 million anaerobic digester (AD) at Piddlehinton.
The plant will supply electricity and gas to Mole Valley Farmers’ neighbouring Dorchester Feed Mill, becoming the first feed mill in the UK to be powered completely by renewable energy.
Councillor Mrs Cox hailed the facility, which will handle food waste from Dorset households, as an “exciting new resource” for the county.
She added: “I’m absolutely chuffed to see this plant up and running, providing renewable energy from what were previously food scraps.”
Trelawney Dampney, Eco’s Managing Director, paid tribute to Dorset Waste Partnership for helping his company to realise its ambition to build the facility.
“This is a highly efficient plant and I believe will act as a blueprint for future resource projects,” he said.
The AD plant is housed on a 2.5 acre site at Bourne Park Estate, Piddlehinton, previously used for pig units.
It will take in up to 15,000 tonnes of organic waste, such as food waste, annually as well as up to 6,000 tonnes of pig slurry to create methane gas.
The gas is used to generate up to 498 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. The end products of the process will be used as agricultural fertiliser on local farms.
The plant, which has created two new jobs, includes a reception barn, generator container, digester and two storage tanks.
