Malaby Biogas celebrates fifth birthday of Bore Hill farm biodigester

UK-based Malaby Biogas is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its Bore Hill Farm Biodigester this month (May).

The Wiltshire-headquarted waste-to-energy business has been at the forefront of the successful anaerobic digestion (AD) industry since 2009 when it gained planning consent for the facility on the southern edge of Warminster in Wiltshire. 

After three years of design and planning the plant was built during 2011 using local trades and UK technology. Malaby Martin was the main contractor and successfully constructed the plant on time and under budget and, on 1 May, 2012, handed it over to sister company Malaby Biogas for the commissioning and ramp up of operations.

According to the company, during the five years of operation the facility has gained a wide-ranging reputation for its innovation and efficient operation. It has been at the cutting edge of plant design and optimisation and continually pushes the boundaries of efficiency and inventiveness.

Malaby has designed simple and effective biofiltration systems for its own facility and others in the industry and continually works to make its impact on the local environment as benign as possible.

Ideally located on the main road network means minimal impact from vehicle movements. Proximity to the local power network means the renewable electricity it produces flows directly into local homes and businesses: currently providing enough power for approximately 2,500 houses 24/7. The organic waste is converted into low-carbon biofertiliser which is sent to nearby farms for spreading on crops as an alternative to petrochemical based industrial fertilisers.

Thomas Minter is a director of Malaby Biogas and has developed a leading industry role in promoting safe and well run facilities.

Minter regularly speaks at industry events and is on a number of working groups and trade groups. Minter hosts visitors on tours of the Bore Hill Farm facility to explain the process and the wide-ranging benefits such plants provide to the economy and the environment.

He said: “We have developed a great reputation in a new industry and have helped put Warminster on the map for renewables and resource efficiency. I’m amazed at the level of interest from foreign delegations, local schools and community groups visiting who are keen to learn about what we do and how well we do it”.