Northern Ireland: Chicken litter to feed biogas plant
A new biogas plant is under construction in Northern Ireland.
Situated just outside of the town of Ballymena, the new biogas plant will generate 3 MW of renewable energy, from up to 40,000 tonnes of chicken litter every year, which will be enough to cover 4,000 homes. This will be the first plant in the world to be fuelled solely by poultry litter.
Economy Minister Simon Hamilton stated: “It is an outstanding example of public sector and private investors coming together to support a new technology for sustainable agriculture and to grow our economy. In addition to helping the local poultry sector to grow, the plant will create up to 100 jobs during the construction phase with a further 11 new jobs available when the plant becomes operational in 2017.”
As Mr Jørgen Ballermann, CEO from Xergi explained, chicken litter will be converted into biogas which will then be used to produce green electricity, and at the same time, the nutrients will be used as fertiliser. He also hopes that this project will provide a significant opportunity for the poultry industry throughout the world.
Source: Bioenergy Insight & Renewable Energy Focus
