'We are the first to do this': Council announces location of pyrolysis plant

The authority has earmarked £2million of capital expenditure to develop a pyrolysis plant in the county, a process which turns waste wood and manure into a product known as ‘biochar’.

The charcoal-like substance can be put to a range of uses, including filtration and soil enhancers, and also counts towards council carbon-saving targets.

Bridgnorth and Ludlow were touted as possible locations for the scheme, but in the meantime around £500,000 was put towards a ‘demonstrator’ site set to be run as a joint venture with a private company in Powys.

The council says Ludlow has now been selected as the potential location for the main council-run scheme, while the demonstrator project is on track to begin operating in September.

“Substantial progress has been made on both the joint venture project, named Biodynamic Carbon (BDC), and the council run Biochar project,” said climate change, environment and transport cabinet member Ian Nellins, addressing a meeting of full council this week .

“Our preferred site for the [council run site] is now designated as Ludlow. This is due to difficulties in agreeing a change of use with the freeholder for the Bridgnorth site and also that part of the site in Ludlow which was formerly leased has now been vacated and has become available.

“A procurement process to seek to award a contract for the design, procurement, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of a biomass pyrolysis plant is now under-way.

“We have already had a promising start and initial responses indicate that there are multiple companies interested in participating in the tender process. We plan to consider these tender applications at the beginning of October.”

Meanwhile, the joint scheme which will be run by a special purpose company in conjunction with an existing biochar firm based in Guilsfield, Powys, is set to come on-line later this year.

The council has earlier said it will generate an estimated £133k per year through the sale of biochar from the site.

“A great deal of work has gone into setting the company up and the first draw-down of the loan £245,000 has been completed.

It means that Biodynamic Carbon is now fully established and funded and the order for the pyrolysis equipment has been confirmed and manufacturing of the equipment is under-way,” added councillor Nellins.

“A further progress payment is scheduled to be made on July 22 with the final payment being made on 2 September, totalling £500,000, when the equipment is fully completed, installed, commissioned and in operation.

“It’s exciting – we are the first council in the UK to do this, but it is a scalable and replicable model that can be applied to other locations and has already attracted interest from other councils in the UK and companies internationally.”