Fenland Council says it has no objections to an anaerobic digestion plant between Whittlesey and Peterborough that could be up and running by the end of the year.

The application by ET Biogas Ventures Ltd for the AD plant will be determined by the county council but Fenland Council has been asked for its view.

“Whilst the proposals are submitted to Cambridgeshire County Council owing to the waste feed element, they effectively straddle the administrative districts of Fenland and Peterborough City Councils,” says a report by the firm’s agents, J H Walter LLP.

The site chosen for the plant is north of Toll Road, Peterborough, at Horsey Toll Farm, Toll Road.

“The proposal will be accessed via a shared private road and to the rear of commercial premises engaged in the hire and erection of static cranes,” says the report.

The plant will occupy nearly six hectares which is currently used for agriculture, says the consultants.

The proposed plant is a gas to grid supply as opposed to a system that uses organic material to generate electricity, bio methane produced by the plant will be directly fed into the gas grid network.

J H Walters says the site has been selected for its proximity to an existing gas grid connection and semi commercial/industrial setting. The plant produces biomethane that is produced from a combination of energy crop and a proportion of waste from the food processing industry.

“As well as the production of gas as a valuable source of fuel, the other output from the process is digestate,” says their report. This is a naturally produced organic fertiliser that can be recycled back to the land to promote the growth of future crops. “This is another major driver for the AD plant as the production of this bio-fertiliser will reduce the dependency on mineral fertiliser as well as improving overall soil fertility,” says the report.

The feedstock for the plant consists mainly of maize, grass silage, sugar beet etc., which will be produced from land farmed locally. There is a smaller proportion of feedstock that will be sourced from local businesses also within this area; this will be in respect of waste products from the food preparation industry.