Contractor chosen for £35m Northumberland anaerobic digestion plant
Arigna will supply 115 tonnes of biochar for ground stabilisation at the £35m anaerobic digestion plant in Northumberland, reducing the project's embodied carbon.
The construction of a new anaerobic digestion facility in Ellington, Northumberland, will incorporate advanced carbon materials to enhance sustainability. O’Brien Moran & Co has been appointed as the main contractor for the £35 million project commissioned by Suez. The facility will utilize approximately 115 tonnes of Arigna biochar for ground stabilization, aiming to reduce the embodied carbon in cement and ground-engineering works.
The Horsham-based contractor has commenced enabling and groundworks, with the construction phase expected to last about 18 months. Following construction, testing and commissioning will proceed, with the plant anticipated to become operational by autumn 2027.
The facility is designed to process up to 50,000 tonnes of food waste annually, producing renewable gas equivalent to the consumption of about 5,500 homes each year. This initiative will support planned food-waste collections across Northumberland and the North East.
In collaboration with Suez and Stantec, O’Brien Moran is also focusing on material reuse. The project will incorporate over 10,500 tonnes of concrete recovered from demolition into the development's formation layers. Additionally, reclaimed materials are expected to supply approximately 60 percent of the structural steel required for the main building.
The facility will be powered by the existing landfill-gas generation system at the Ellington site. John Scanlon, executive vice-president for Suez in the UK, highlighted the project's role in enhancing regional food-waste recycling capacity and renewable energy production.
Source: Biochar Feed