The planning committee met on Tuesday (6 October 2026) and gave its backing to proposals from Northwich Biogas, a subsidiary of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
The plans will see the former Renescience site at Lostock Gralam, off Griffiths Road, refurbished and converted from its existing municipal solid waste (MSW) pre-treatment operation into a dedicated biogas plant.
The site was purchased from Ørsted, formally known as DONG Energy, by Northwich Biogas in 2025. Delays to the plant led to Ørsted taking a £50 million impairment charge. The company made the decision to sell due to leaving the waste treatment sector.
The proposed facility will include a new digester tank, biomethane upgrading units and carbon capture technology.
It is expected to process 177,000 tonnes of industrial organic and food waste each year, with the resulting biomethane supplied to the national gas grid.
It was originally designed to treat unsorted residual waste using enzymes to create a ‘bioliquid’ and solid recovered fuel, while also generating electricity.
During the planning consultation, a number of surrounding parish councils, as well as Northwich Town Council, raised concerns about the potential impact of the development.
Odour was among the issues highlighted by consultees.
During sale of the plant, Ørsted dealt with odours coming from the facility, after a string of complaints from local residents.
Planning officers told the committee that mitigation measures would be implemented to address potential odour and air quality impacts from the facility.
The approval will allow the existing waste treatment operation to be phased out as the site is redeveloped into the proposed biomethane production facility.
CIP manages over €28 billion in renewable energy investments and has more than 700 employees across 12 offices worldwide.
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