Two new biogas projects ramp up in UK

Xergi has signed contracts to supply two anaerobic digestion plants to UK-based company Tamar Energy (TE).

These plants will be among the first projects in TE’s overall plan for a network of more than 40 biogas plants across the UK, with a total capacity of 100MW, by 2018.

TE was set up in February 2012 with a capital base of almost £100 million (€116.8 million) via investment from a number of influential shareholders, including the Duchy of Cornwall, Dubai-based investment company Fajr Capital and supermarket brand Sainsbury’s.

A project in Nottinghamshire is to use a patented Xergi technology which can digest large quantities of poultry manure within a biogas plant.

‘Poultry manure contains high levels of nitrogen. This impedes the biological process in the digester which means that most standard biogas plants are not capable of processing large quantities of poultry manure,’ says Xergi sales manager Jørgen Fink. ‘Our technology removes some of the nitrogen before the poultry manure is added to the digester however.’

In addition to poultry manure, that particular AD plant will also process vegetable waste and maize silage. The plant will be able to generate 3MW of electricity and is expected to be commissioned in January 2014.

The other project will be in Lincolnshire and located close to one of the region’s largest potato producers and processors. This plant will process vegetable waste and maize silage to produce 1.5MW of electricity and is scheduled to be commissioned in December 2013.