Lime supplier commissions biogas plant

UK lime supplier Singleton Birch this year commissioned a 1.5 MW anaerobic digestion (AD) facility at its lime works in Melton Ross, Barnetby, North Lincolnshire. The company operates several lime works which process raw material for the building industry, agriculture, and water supply and distribution.

The company embarked on the project as part of its strategy to control its £10 million annual energy costs, reduce carbon footprint and reduce reliance on grid electricity. The key technology components were provided by PlanET Biogas, a private German company with over 300 AD facilities to its name. Manure, slurry, maize and sugar beet supplied by North Lincs Energy Growers - a consortium of four local farmers - together with grass from the Humberside Airport, are the basis for the substrate mixture for the facility.

PlanET Biogas provided the 96 m³ PlanET Vario dry feeder for grass and muck package; the gas-storage system PlanET Flexstore; and the efficient desulfurisation of the raw biogas with the PlanET eco cover. The facility is expected to generate 12,000 MWh/year of electricity, which will be consumed at the existing lime works and equates to 40% of the site power consumption.

“Since the beginning of commissioning in March 2014, everything is working very well,” said Singleton Birch Technical Director Martin Haworth. “It is running very, very well, according to plan, and was delivered on budget, on target, and we are very pleased with it.

“For the Humber Region, this AD plant is a unique project in terms of energy management, which sustainably ensures economic efficiency and a competitive operation of our energy-consuming lime businesses.”

Singleton Birch is now looking to build on this successful project by constructing and operating AD facilities on other sites in the area.