Future Biogas joins national biodiversity monitoring trial at Lincolnshire plant

Future Biogas has begun deploying advanced biodiversity monitoring equipment at its Moor Bioenergy (MBE) plant in Lincolnshire, as part of WildSense — a pioneering national programme aimed at generating high-resolution ecological data across the UK.

The biomethane producer is one of just ten organisations selected for a sensor trial delivered by Wilder Sensing in collaboration with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).

Three monitoring stations will operate at MBE until December 2026, capturing bird, bat and insect activity through ultrasonic bioacoustic recording and automated imaging to build a detailed picture of species presence, activity patterns and nocturnal insect biomass across the site.

Future Biogas proposed MBE for the trial because the site is relatively new, with landscaping and biodiversity net gain (BNG) work still at an early stage. The resulting data will establish an independent ecological baseline and track how wildlife responds as the plant matures.

CEO Philipp Lukas said the company had until now lacked site-level ecological evidence to validate its biodiversity approach. "WildSense will help us establish a baseline at Moor Bioenergy and enable us to track how wildlife responds as the site matures," he said. "We're excited to test our biodiversity goals against the reality — and to use the data to inform how we design and manage our future plants for the most positive environmental impact."

The deployment forms part of a broader monitoring push that began in October 2025, when Future Biogas installed Wilder Sensing bird recorders and Agrisound pollinator monitors across three sites in Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Bird data is being shared with the British Trust for Ornithology.

Early findings from pollinator sensors at Grange Farm Energy have already informed on-site management decisions, including a "No Mow May" initiative around the lagoon area. Environmental Social Governance Coordinator Sasha Stark noted measurable increases in bee activity in the rewilded zone, and highlighted that a 24-species NF8 wildflower mix — including Marsh Marigold, Yellow Flag Iris and Meadow Buttercup — is currently showing the highest pollinator uplift values in the company's dataset.

The findings take on added significance given the state of wild pollinator populations. Data from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's BeeWalk scheme shows 2024 was the worst year for bumblebees since records began, with numbers across Great Britain down 22.5% on the 2010–2023 average.

Geoffrey Carss, CEO and founder of Wilder Sensing, said the combination of bioacoustics and automated insect imaging would produce a level of biodiversity insight that traditional survey methods could not match, providing both scientific value for conservationists and practical evidence for land managers.