Biogas plant that will fuel the transport sector in UK gets the go-ahead.

Plans to build a biogas plant that will generate enough fuel to power up to 1,000 low carbon HGV’s and buses every year has been approved by Chester Council.

Plans to build a biogas plant that will generate enough fuel to power up to 1,000 low carbon HGV’s and buses every year has been approved by Chester Council.

On Wednesday, Cheshire West & Chester Council’s planning committee approved plans to build the UK’s first commercial-scale Bio-Substitute Natural Gas (BioSNG) plant at Peel Environmental’s – part of Peel L&P - Protos site near Ellesmere Port.

The plant, which is being developed by Progressive Energy, will generate renewable gas from up to 175,000 tonnes of bio-resources, such as unrecyclable wood.

Jayne Hennessy, Peel Environmental, said: “This is another example of how Cheshire is leading the way on the clean growth agenda. Decarbonising the region, and safeguarding industry and jobs, is going to require many innovative solutions. Progressive Energy’s ground-breaking project will be a great fit for Protos where we’re clustering together low carbon energy generation to drive down the cost of clean energy and attract new businesses, jobs and investment.”

Peel Environmental is a development company that works with landowners, investors, operators, contractors and technology providers to develop deliverable business models for waste and environmental technology projects.

This gas will be used in the transport sector, generating enough fuel to power up to 1,000 low carbon HGVs and buses every year.

The transport sector is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. A recent report by the Department for Business, Industry and Energy Strategy (BEIS) found that transport was the largest source of climate-changing greenhouse gases in the UK last year.

Chris Manson-Whitton, Progressive Energy, said: “Decarbonising the transport sector is going to be critical if we’ve any chance of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Today’s decision is a huge step forward to providing a reliable and renewable gas for transport fleets across the North West and beyond.”

In addition to providing a renewable source for transport, the development represents an investment of £150m and will create around 300 jobs at Protos during construction, with 35 full time permanent, high skilled jobs.

The new biogas initiative can be scaled up and used across the country to help the UK reach the 2050 net-zero target.

Chris Manson-Whitton added: “This is just the first of many BioSNG plants that could be built across the country, helping to transform our transport sector and make a huge contribution to tackling climate change.”

Find out more about Peel Environmental's projects here.

8 November 2019

Climate Action