Shropshire Star

£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.

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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.

The site of the proposed biochar facility at Ludlow Business Park. Photo: Google
The site of the proposed biochar facility at Ludlow Business Park. Photo: Google

Tony Higgins, from EnviroConsult, said that the side effects of the production process - such as dust, odours, and noise - would all be mitigated.