Acorn Bioenergy has officially launched Winchester’s first anaerobic digestion (AD) facility, marking a major step in the city’s transition to renewable energy.
The plant at Three Maids Hill will produce over 120 GWh of biomethane annually – enough to heat more than 9,000 homes – while creating 15 local jobs and supporting up to 50 in the wider supply chain.
By processing 83,600 tonnes of farm residues, manures and rotational crops each year, the facility will cut around 30,000 tonnes of CO₂ – equivalent to planting 1.2 million trees or removing 15,000 cars from the road.
It will also generate nutrient-rich digestate to improve soil health and reduce reliance on imported fertilisers, alongside high-purity green CO₂ for industrial uses.
Minister for Industry, Sarah Jones, said: “Acorn’s development will deliver secure, clean energy for thousands of homes and provide jobs for the local community in Hampshire. Biomethane can play an important role in reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels, boosting our energy security and helping us accelerate to net zero.”
Alister Veitch, Head of Business Development at Acorn Bioenergy, described the site as “a real flagship hub” that “demonstrates how renewable biogas generation can power homes, strengthen food security and support the UK’s net zero ambitions.”
By complementing intermittent renewables such as wind and solar, the Winchester facility strengthens the UK’s energy system. Acorn Bioenergy is developing a dozen more sites, with the goal of supplying 25% of the nation’s biomethane by 2035.
Winchester’s first biomethane facility will cut emissions and boost resilience appeared first on Energy Live News.