£2 million biochar plant to process green waste in Ludlow recommended for approval
Plans to convert a former anaerobic digester in Ludlow into a biochar plant have been recommended for approval by Shropshire Council planning officers.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Councillors will be advised to approve plans for a new facility to recycle green waste in Ludlow next week when the proposal goes before Shropshire Council's Southern Planning Committee.
In January, Shropshire Council submitted the plans to turn a former anaerobic digester on Ludlow Business Park into a unit producing biochar, a form of charcoal.
Biochar is made by heating organic materials - such as plant trimmings, food processing residues, or forestry cuttings - in an environment without oxygen at temperatures of 400°C or higher (also known as pyrolysis).
The scheme is part of a £2 million investment into biochar-producing pyrolysis plants, with the first being built by Woodtek Engineering Ltd on Caebardd Farm in Powys.
In a planning statement, EnviroConsult, which is working alongside the council, said the scheme would "offer a viable alternative to inefficient disposal of green wastes" and provide "an economic gain" from the waste products.
