Peel Environmental will now be able to develop its plans for an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility and horticultural glasshouse on the site of the North Selby mine in Wheldrake. The plant will recover heat and electricity from up to 60,000 tonnes of organic waste per year thereby generating enough renewable electricity to supply around 3,500 homes. Some of the heat will be used by a horticultural glasshouse to be built alongside the site and operated by specialist plant company Plant Raisers, based in Howden, which will mainly use it for propagating tomato plants.
“We are delighted that councillors have not only recognised the benefits of such a significant amount of private investment, but also the positive impact that this facility will have on the environment” said Richard Barker, Development Manager of Peel Environmental. “It will provide 20,000 tonnes per year of carbon savings compared to sending the waste to landfill greater than the levels of CO2 produced by City of York Council.This will contribute to ambitious targets to reduce emissions and increase recycling in York and the surrounding areas.”
The 23.5 million project will use AD to treat organic and commercial waste, generating 1.5MW of heat and up to 2.75MW of electricity. AD is a proven technology which is used in a variety of settings, including agricultural areas, in order to break down organic materials. The plant at North Selby will also produce around 30,000 tonnes of digestate which could be used by local farmers as a bio-fertiliser. Low carbon electricity produced by the plant will power the glasshouse with the excess being exported to the National Grid via an existing on-site connection.
The scheme represents an investment of £23.5 million into the area which consists of roughtly £17.5 million for the AD plant and £6 million for the glasshouse.
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