Drop-ins to shine spotlight on Buckie biogas plant project
PLANS to build a biogas plant just outside Buckie have been unveiled.
Acorn Bioenergy are set to consult on plans to build anaerobic digestion plant on agricultural land, to the south of Rathven and adjacent to the March Road Industrial Estate.
Two exhibitions - both in Buckie’s Fishermen’s Hall - are scheduled for Thursday, June 13 and again on Thursday, June 27 running from 2pm to 6pm. The drop-ins aim to provide an opportunity to provide residents and the wider community an opportunity to view the proposals, ask the Acorn team members questions and leave feedback.
No plans have been submitted yet to Moray Council.
It is estimated the plant would produce up to 100GW of energy a year using agricultural and distillery waste.
Covering 7.5 hectares in total, it is envisaged the plant would operate from 9am to 5pm during the week with reduced hours at the weekend, with the exception of harvest time.
In order to minimise the visual impact of the plant, Acorn have committed to planting wildflowers, new native trees and hedgerows.
Further information on the project can be obtained from Mabbett and Associates Ltd, Willow House, Stoneyfield Business Park, Inverness, IV2 7PA, telephone (01463) 237229, email ymacdonald@mabbett.eu.
Questionnaires will be available at the drop-ins or by visiting www.hillofrathvengreenenergy.com
All comments should be submitted by June 21.
The plant will generate energy by using a process called anaerobic digestion. This is a naturally-occurring biological process carried out by a mixture of microbes breaking down agricultural materials to use as an energy source in an air-tight tank.
The key microbes are methanogenic bacteria which produce biogas from the intermediate products. Our anaerobic digestion facilities will then refine the biogas to extract biomethane and green CO2.
The biomethane produced is then used as eco-friendly fuel for HGVs or transported and injected into the grid to be used for heating thousands of homes nationwide each year.
