Anaerobic digester plans approved by council

16/12/2010 @ 08:30

A Welshpool based company has won planning permission for an anaerobic digester to solve the waste disposal problems of Powys.

Potters Waste Management plans for the building of an anaerobic digester at the Bryn Posteg landfill site in Llanidloes have been granted by Powys County Council – creating at least 10 new jobs and protecting the existing 30.

Potters Waste Management, operaters of the only landfill site in Central Wales, were given full planning permission for the construction of the digestion plant this week.

And the news has been welcomed by Potter Group Managing Director James Potter.

“The digestion plant is a major step forward in the handling of waste for Powys,” he said. “It is the perfect, environmentally friendly solution to the county’s waste disposal issues and will also create much needed new employment for the area.

“The new digester will receive and anaerobically digest bio-degradable waste to produce methane gas, a digested sludge cake and a digestate liquor,” added Mr Potter.

“This process is seen as a natural, fully sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to the handling of Powys waste.”

The methane gas will be used in a new combined heat and power plant to generate electricity which will be exported to the national grid, and heat, which will be used to pre-treat the incoming bio-degradeable waste.

The digested sludge cake will be transported off-site and will be spread on agricultural land in the genreal area as a soil conditioner.

The digestate liquor will either be transported off-site, for use as a fertiliser on agricultural land or will be treated on-site prior to licenced discharge.

Mr Potter said the development would accept organic waste from the Mid Wales area and would include full odour control systems.

“We will need to employ at least 10 additional local people and the development will protect the jobs of the existing 30 staff involved at Bryn Posteg,” said Mr Potter.

“The bio-mass to be treated will come from Mid Wales. At present this bio-mass is either sent to landfill or sent outside the region for treatment elsewhere. Local farms will benefit from the fertliser and soil conditioner produced.”

“Potters Waste Management has fully evaluated the available process options for the digestion of incoming biomass and the development is considered to represent the best available technology,” he said.

“In addition the proposed digester will not result in any major adverse environmental effects and is considered to constitute the best practical environmental option.”