St Boswells AD plant to open in Feburary

Operators Biogas Power and Waverley Farm Contracts (WFCL) expect the plant to produce three million cubic metres of biomethane a year from farm-based feedstock, which will be injected into the local gas main.

WFCL is providing the feedstock and WFCL director Trevor Jackson said: “We are working with local farmers, contractors, suppliers and the Borders Machinery Ring (BMR) to deliver this new market development in the Borders and create an element of longer term price stability in the local agricultural market.”

Manager of the BMR agricultural co-op, Michael Bayne said: “This is a new opportunity for our farmer and contractor members providing an additional outlet for their crops, helping reduce risk in an increasingly volatile market.

“Feedstock requirements for the plant will in some cases give farmers the option of growing new crop in their rotation helping to meet the new three crop rule under the new CAP changes.”

The plant will also produce nutrient rich digestate to be returned to the supply land annually to support crop yield and improve soil structure.

This project is funded by Iona Capital Limited and the local plant is Iona’s eleventh AD project in the UK and its second gas to grid facility.

Mr Jackson added: “WCFL directors Iain MacKinnon and I are delighted Mike Orr has joined the board and Bill Thomson has joined as operations manager.”