Expected to create 50 engineering, rural and infrastructure jobs within the wider supply chain, the site will start producing green biomethane gas in the summer of 2025, in support of the government’s net zero strategy to quadruple biomethane by 2030-2035.
Situated a few metres from the A34, the facility sits within the city’s emerging “renewable hub”, in between the Three Maids Hill solar farm and InstaVolt’s EV superhub.
Once up and running, the facility hopes to produce enough green gas to heat more than 9,380 homes.
The site utilises a natural process where organic materials, such as agri-based waste and rotational feedstocks are broken down by microbes in an oxygen-free environment to produce biogas. The gas is then upgraded to biomethane and either injected into the national gas network or used as a renewable fuel for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
It also generates green CO₂ for use in sustainable industries and creates bio-fertiliser as a byproduct.
The visit brought together representatives from Winchester city council, Hampshire county council and local parishes, to discover more about the AD process and how it can support the UK’s food and energy security.
Representatives from Headbourne Worthy Parish council and surrounding parishes attended the visit alongside Winchester city councillors, including councillor Kelsie Learney, cabinet member for Climate Emergency; councillor Jackie Porter, cabinet member for place and local plan; and councillor Caroline Horrill, leader of the Conservative Group.
Porter said: “The Three Maids site in Winchester is well situated because it’s near a major road system, the Instavolt EV charging station and a solar energy site; meaning it has become a renewable energy hub for the city.
“I’m very pleased to know that green methane prevents us from taking fossil fuels out of the ground. This is methane that would have been created on farms anyway, however, we’re now channelling it into producing green energy for the city and community to benefit from.”
Local farmer Nick Rowsell, who is supplying feedstock to the plant, said: “As well as supporting our energy security, the AD facility also helps to protect the UK’s food security”.
“In addition to providing a steady income stream, it can help farms like ours manage risk by extending our harvest season and reducing fertiliser costs, which is critical in an increasingly uncertain economic and environmental climate.”
Alister Veitch, head of business development at Acorn Bioenergy, said: “The Three Maids Hill facility will become a real flagship hub for us. Alongside our dozen sites in development, it is a big step towards our ambition to supply 25% of the UK’s biomethane as the country’s leading producer. Following the site’s approval in May 2023 – which received no objections from statutory consultees – we’re excited to complete on-site to begin producing our first biomethane later this year.”
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