A biogas facility in South Bedfordshire is set to increase its production capacity to five megawatts of biomethane and expand operations from five to nine acres, despite initial objections from the local parish council.
Located on an arable farm near Hockliffe, just off the A5, the expansion requires approval from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government due to its greenbelt location.
The proposed upgrades by Trinity Hall Farm and Trinity Hall Biogas include the installation of two additional digester tanks, a digestate storage tank, three feed units and two slurry intake tanks.
The plans also feature four pasteurisation tanks, an oxygen injection system, a gas upgrader, a grid entry unit, three propane tanks, a low-voltage unit, an emergency run-off lagoon, extended access roads, parking areas and landscaping improvements.
While the development has been described as a significant change to the greenbelt, planners noted that careful landscaping could mitigate the visual impact.
The project offers environmental benefits, including the generation of renewable energy through anaerobic digestion, with digestate by-products used as natural fertiliser, according to the company.
Gas produced on-site will be converted into energy via a combined heat and power unit, with the facility ideally positioned for direct grid connection.
Senior planning officials highlighted that anaerobic digestion breaks down organic matter in an oxygen-free environment, producing renewable energy and nutrient-rich digestate.
The facility’s design takes advantage of the natural topography to minimise its footprint and visual impact.
Chalgrave Parish Council raised concerns about the 69% increase in site area and the tripling of digestate volume, as well as a sixfold increase in energy output.
E4environment director Deb Cairns explained that the plant, operational since 2014, will achieve a fivefold increase in energy production and a threefold increase in feedstock.
Upgraded gas can be injected directly into the grid, improving efficiency from 43% to 99%, while reusing heat within the digestion process.
Using farm manure as feedstock contributes to a circular economy and reduces reliance on artificial fertilisers, which are a major source of ammonia pollution. The process also improves soil health by producing a more refined natural fertiliser.
Local councillors praised the project as carefully planned, well-integrated into the landscape, and adequately screened, ultimately granting unanimous approval.
Bedfordshire biogas facility expansion to go ahead
