The first agricultural AD plant injecting gas into the national grid

Agraferm built this AD plant in the British village of Poundbury for JV Energen LLP, a joint venture between local farmers and the Duchy of Cornwall.

This is the first agricultural AD plant in Great Britain to supply the national gas grid. The Duchy of Cornwall is the private estate that funds the public, charitable and private activities of The Duke of Cornwall, HRH The Prince of Wales. Poundbury is a model town for the implementation of sustainable innovations and design principles, which Prince Charles is considerably involved in. Inaddition to the gas output, the AD plant also supplies electricity for 300 households. The gas distributor Scotia Gas Networks has been involved in the project from the beginning which has enabled the seamless transfer from production to grid.

The AD plant is integrated into the southwest English countryside and complies with the high standards of the local planning authority. At full capacity the AD plant will be able to digest around 41,000 tons of feedstock per year. Furthermore around 8,000 tons of solid digestate residues, containing valuable nutrients for the chalky soil of the region, will be used by the local farmers as a fertiliser. The remaining solid digestate is being bagged and sold to local nurseries as a 100% high-quality organic soil enricher.