Work to begin on new £2 million biochar plant in Ludlow next week
Work to onvert a former anaerobic digester in Ludlow into a biochar plant is set to begin next week.
Work to prepare the site on Ludlow’s Coder Road business park is set to start next week.
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 which became operational just after Christmas.
Once operational, the Ludlow plant is expected to produce around 1,000 tonnes of biochar each year.
The first on-site activity, which is set to start early next year, will be the decommissioning and removal of redundant material and equipment from the former biodigester.
Shropshire Council have warned there is the potential for the work to "cause some disruption through vehicle movements, noise and potentially dust and odour" while the "short phase of work" takes place.
The new plant will then be installed over summer and autumn this year, with the aim to have the plant operational early in 2026.
BioDynamic Carbon Ltd, a joint venture company with Shropshire Council will operate the plant following its successful tender application earlier this year.
Mark Foxall, Shropshire Council’s technical support and projects manager said: “Our first plant is already producing biochar and we are pleased with its performance and output. With the planning application for our Ludlow site having now received approval we’re now looking forward to getting started on our second biochar project.”
Dan Wrench, Shropshire Council’s climate and carbon project officer added: “Shropshire Council is continuing to engage with government, academia and other councils who have registered their interest in the many benefits of producing biochar.
“It’s great that we’ve had so much interest in our biochar plans. We have been approached by over 30 other councils and several businesses looking to invest in the technology.’’