Farmgen applies for latest anaerobic digestion plant

Lancashire-based energy-from-crops company Farmgen has revealed plans for its second facility in Cumbria.

The company, which has embarked on a £30m investment drive nationwide, has applied to Carlisle City Council for permission to create the farm-based anaerobic digestion plant at Murray House Farm in Cumwhinton.

Its team has been working for some time on the plan with Peter Bainbridge and his father, Peter, who both farm at Murray House and the application has been submitted to build a plant that can generate up to 1.2MW of electricity.

Crops used at the £3m plant would be supplied by the Bainbridges, who organise the popular annual Cumwhinton horse trials, and neighbouring farmers.

Building work has already started on Farmgen's first AD plant in Cumbria at Dryholme Farm, near Silloth. Dryholme and Farmgen's inaugural plant at Carr Farm in Warton, near Preston, Lancashire, are both scheduled to be up and running this year. Once in operation, they will each generate enough continuous power for more than 1,000 homes and will provide a significant boost to their rural economies.

Ed Cattigan, chief operating officer at Farmgen, said: "The application we have submitted for Murray House underlines our great belief in the huge potential that exists for farm-based AD in Cumbria.

"As the country moves over to 'green' energy, as part of the drive towards a low carbon economy, there is a strong opportunity for many farmers across the county to create a sustainable and stronger future for themselves by switching to 'energy farming'.

"We are in talks with a number of other farming operations across Cumbria and in other parts of the UK to create similar plants and we are hoping to reveal more planned sites in the very near future."

Farmgen has organised an open day at Murray House Farm on Thursday 17 February, between 11am and 3pm, so interested farmers and the local community can see and discuss the plans for the plant. For more details call 01253 600 800.