Proposed bioenergy plant near Roade discussed at public exhibition ahead of planning process

A special event was held at Roade village hall where residents were able to ask questions and view details about a potential new plant that will generate a sustainable alternative to natural gas.

Acorn Bioenergy is currently working on a planning application for a new plant on a proposed site on the land south of East Lodge Farm close to Roade. The site will be approximately six hectares in total.

Residents who attended the exhibition had questions about the smell, traffic and loss of green space in particular and were able to ask questions to the Acorn Bioenergy team who had attended. Those who came along were also able to write their comments on to forms for the company to consider.

Acorn Bioenergy said in its exhibition: “We process agricultural waste, not putrescible food waste hence avoiding issues of odour. We will be strictly monitored to ensure minimal impact on local residents. We will plant new hedgerows and native trees and feedstocks will enter the site and gas will leave the site by HGVs and farmyard vehicles.

"Site lighting will not be required outside working hours and the plant will be designed to avoid light spill outside the site, with lighting directed away from hedgerows and trees.”

One resident who attended said: “We are already being hammered with development here, why can’t an alternative site be used? Warehousing is going up everywhere and our roads are already under pressure.”

Another resident added: “Great idea but what about the traffic? If this increases the HGVs on our roads this will keep on adding to the problems we have.”

The exhibition revealed a lot of information about the anaerobic digestion process, detailing how it produces two useful by-products; digestate, which will be used as fertiliser on farms, and green CO2 which can be used in industry. It also stated that anaerobic digestion was pivotal to sustainable food production and farming, to break crops and increase crop yield in the future.

Acorn Bioenergy said: “We have a team of highly experienced professionals from the energy, engineering and agricultural sectors, we take responsibility for the entire scope of each project from development through to construction and operations. Our plan is to generate enough clean energy to heat 102,000 homes and avoid the emissions of 421,000 tonnes of CO2 in the UK . This plant alone has the potential to provide enough clean energy to heat over 7,000 homes and avoid the emissions of at least 26,500 tonnes of CO2 each year.”

They added: “We are happy to say that the proposals were well received by the majority of those who attended the exhibition and we will be submitting a planning application before the end of the year. We are also arranging dates for presenting these proposals to the parish councils in the area.”

You can read more about anaerobic digestion and how it works on the Acorn Bioenergy website.

The company is yet to submit a planning application to West Northamptonshire Council.