Zebec Biogas Limited and partners The William Tracey Group have announced the granting of planning consent for a new Anaerobic Digestion facility to be located at Barkip near Beith in North Ayrshire.

North Ayrshire Council recently issued consent for the new 75,000 tonne per annum capacity plant to be built and operational for early in 2011 creating at least 10 new jobs in the area and developing a site which was historically used as a Landfill.

Anaerobic Digestion is a natural biological process which uses bacterial cultures within enclosed silo tanks to generate methane rich biogas from waste organic materials (such as food wastes) and energy crops (such as grass silage).

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The biogas is captured and used to fuel engines which generate renewable electricity for the national grid. The proposed electrical generation of 2 megawatts by the Barkip facility will contribute towards Scotland's renewable energy targets and help to combat climate change.

The William Tracey Group will supply feedstock materials for the plant, providing another recycling outlet for their customers to divert wastes away from landfill. Suitable materials will include waste food from food manufacturing processes, catering wastes, fats and greases and organic effluent sludge's.

The new plant represents another step in the William Tracey Group’s move towards provision of full resource recovery options and support for Scotland’s Zero Waste agenda.

Zebec Biogas Limited will also source agricultural feedstock materials for the plant including energy crops and slurries, providing an additional market for local farmers.

(CD/BMcC)