Banbridge Biogas Boost

4 May 2010

If you thought that milk and beef were all you could get from a cow then you may soon have to think again. On a farm near Banbridge plans are well underway to create energy in the form of electricity and heat from purely agricultural feed stocks such as grass and cow slurry.

Using a well established European technology called Anaerobic Digestion (AD), the company behind this new project is Kedco Energy NI, who are based near the farm in Banbridge. They have teamed up with a leading AD technology provider, Agrikomp from Germany, who have been involved in 1,500 installations across Europe. Kedco will build and manage the Banbridge biogas site and will use the feed stocks from the farm to produce methane which will then be used to fuel a CHP engine to generate electricity and heat. This will just be the beginning of Kedco’s ambitions as Director Tom Cromie explains

“Our first priority is to have an AD plant generating power on this farm as quickly as possible. Along with our technology partners we will also be developing projects across Northern Ireland and already we are finding that there is a great deal of interest. We have hosted several tours to Germany with potential customers and while they are very impressed with what is available in Germany, the common question is when will this technology be available in Northern Ireland? We aim to be the first company to deliver a commercially viable on-farm plant which will prove the concept can be adapted for Northern Ireland”.

The building of an AD facility of this type in Banbridge is enough to get excited about but the project innovation does not end there. Kedco are also in discussion with a local property developer to explore opportunities for piping the gas a few kilometres from the AD plant to the site of a new housing development where it will be used onsite to generate heat for the new properties. The prospect of using the heat in this way greatly enhances the efficiency of the project and allows the local developer to add value to his new development in terms of its environmental credentials. The ability to offer reliable renewable heat will provide a unique selling point when it comes to selling the new homes.

The Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) SMART programme has committed funding support to the project and Gwyneth Compston from NIE Energy visited the site this week “The SMART programme is delighted to be involved in such an innovative project in Northern Ireland it will demonstrate the real opportunity which exists for local farmers to get involved in renewable energy. Kedco`s plans for using the heat are not only ambitious but they also highlight the commitment to establishing a viable technology in Northern Ireland. We certainly hope that others will follow as the market matures.”

Like Gwyneth, Kedco agree that it is only a matter of time before similar plants are relatively common in Northern Ireland and as Peter Mulgrew, Kedco`s Operations Manager points out, everyone is a winner: “The opportunity presented by this and similar schemes is tremendous for the rural community from farmers deriving an income from feedstock supply and closing the loop on nutrient management by receiving back a bio fertiliser for their feedstock, to increasing the sustainability of local communities through wealth and job creation and reducing the carbon footprint and environmental impact of local farming. Kedco as a company is keen to discuss potential projects with local farmers and would encourage anyone who is interested to get in touch with them”.

For more information you can log on to www.kedco.com or call 028 40628803.

back to news page | top