South Lanarkshire Eco-Park to get 5MW biogas plant

The five megawatt (MW) anaerobic digestion (AD) plant is part of the M74 Eco-Park, between Glasgow and Carlisle, and should generate sufficient electricity to power 2,500 homes and create 10 permanent jobs.

Proactive Energy will be the first tenant signed up for the M74 Eco-Park, at which construction work is scheduled to start by April 2010 and plant operations planned to begin operations by early 2011.

The plant will use the AD process to generate electricity; methane rich biogas will be generated by using bacterial cultures on organic waste within enclosed silo tanks. The captured biogas will then be used to fuel engines, which generate renewable electricity that can be fed into the National Grid.

Proactive Energy said it was currently actively looking for more sources of organic waste, stating it will pay for agricultural waste, while any food waste it processes, will be paid for by the company supplying it.

Ron Coakley, director of Proactive Energy commented: “We’re absolutely delighted that our new, sustainable biogas plant has been given the go ahead. I would like to say a huge thank you to South Lanarkshire Council for all the help and support they have provided throughout the planning process."

The M74 Eco-Park is Scotland’s first green, industrial park and as the anchor tenant, Proactive Energy plans to use the thermal energy – a by product produced in the AD process – to heat the premises of neighbouring Eco-Park occupiers, as well as for cold storers and companies that will require extreme heat in their manufacturing process. Other by-products form the AD process, such as plastics and metals from food containers, will be sent for recycling and the residue that remains at the end of process will be sold on as a high quality natural fertiliser.

Scotland will be getting another AD plant up and running in early 2011, with North Ayrshire just giving the go-ahead to environmental management company, Zebec Biogas Limited and its recycling partners, The William Tracey Group, for a 2 MW, 75,000 tonne AD plant to be located at Barkip, near Beith, North Ayrshire.

The plant will be built on an old landfill site with The William Tracey Group and Zebec Biogas supplying agricultural feedstock materials including energy crops and slurries. The partners plan for the plant to be operational in early 2011, creating ten permanent jobs.