Last updated at 16:08, Friday, 10 June 2011

Cumbria's first anaerobic digester is more than half finished and should be generating electricity before the summer is out.

Farmgen’s £4 million plant at Dryholme Farm, near Silloth, is 60 per cent complete with the sides of the tanks already up and ready for the roof to go on.

The clamps for storing the maize and grass that will feed the machine are 80 per cent complete and the groundworks are well under way.

Farmgen has invited local farmers to the site today between 11am and 2pm to see progress of the building works. It is planning to build several similar plants in Cumbria as part of a £30m investment in the technology over the next few years.

The company’s first anaerobic digester was switched on at Warton, near Preston last month. It is producing enough electricity for 1,000 homes and is a similar size to the one at Dryholme. It has submitted planning applications to create two more plants at High Head Farm in Ivegill and Murray House Farm in Cumwhinton.

Marks & Spencer has signed a five-year, fixed-price contract to buy energy generated at the Warton plant.

Anaerobic digesters turn crops and farm waste into biogas, which drives turbines to create electricity. While Farmgen offers farmers the chance to supply anaerobic digesters, Community Renewable Energy North West (CoRE NW) is setting up co-operatives of farmers to own, run and supply plants in Cumbria.

It has been shortlisted in this year’s Co-operative Excellence Awards for its work in this sector.

Call 01253 740940 about the open day.

First published at 14:10, Friday, 10 June 2011
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk