Acorn Bioenergy Operations has applied to the Environment Agency for a bespoke environmental permit for a large-scale anaerobic digestion plant in Willand, Devon, designed to process more than 100,000 tonnes of agricultural and organic feedstocks per year.
The facility would treat 100,780 tonnes per year of liquid and solid feedstocks including poultry litter, pig and cattle slurry, energy crops and crop residues across five digesters — three conventional concrete units and two Biogest PowerRing digesters operating in a series of primary and post-digestion stages.
The plant is expected to produce approximately 20.4 million normal cubic metres of biogas annually, which would be used on site for heat and power generation and upgraded to biomethane for injection into the national gas grid. Carbon dioxide from the upgrading process would be captured and liquefied for use or sequestration.
In addition to renewable gas, the facility would produce around 39,600 tonnes per year of separated solid fibre digestate and 54,500 tonnes of liquid digestate for use as biofertiliser on local farms.
Solid manures would be stored in a dedicated reception building fitted with emissions abatement equipment. The application includes an assessment of emissions to air from 22 emission points across the site.
The permit application is open for public comment until 12 November 2026.
