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Plans for a new anaerobic digestion plant at Bishop Middleham, near Sedgefield, were approved by Durham County Council’s planning committee on Tuesday. New Bishop Middleham plant will convert waste to power 18,000 homes: Teesside company BioConstruct NewEnergy said the facility at Sprucely Farm will process food waste and farmyard manure, producing methane gas which will be purified and exported to the national gas grid. It added that the development will provide a facility for the sustainable production of renewable biogas, sufficient to supply energy to 18,000 homes.
Several tanks, including two large digester tanks, will be built as part of the facility. Plans for a new anaerobic digestion plant at Bishop Middleham, near Sedgefield, were approved by Durham County Council’s planning committee on Tuesday. (Image: The Northern Echo) However, Sedgefield Town Council warned the development would impact air pollution and highway safety.
“Strong odours will detrimentally affect nearby residents and businesses,” a statement read. Representatives for BioConstruct NewEnergy said: “The proposal represents an appropriate form of sustainable development at the site. Moreover, the development will not result in a significant impact on the landscape or visual amenity, will not cause noise or odour nuisance, will not give rise to traffic issues of any significance, will not harm the local ecology and will not adversely impact any features of archaeological importance.
“Access to the site would be from a priority junction on the A177. The traffic generated by the facility would be minimal and is not expected to have any adverse impacts on the local road network.” Recommended reading: They also said the proposal would benefit the rural economy and promote the Government’s aim to diversify farms.
The feedstock for the plant is due to a total of 76,000 tonnes annually, with 22,000 tonnes produced on-site and the remaining 54,000 tonnes sourced from local farms. The feedstock will include maize silage, grass, straw, chicken manure, pig manure, pig slurry, and processed food waste like blood, liquids, and syrups. Construction of the plant is expected to take up to 14 months to complete.
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