Jun 4 2013
Thomas Swan are hoping their plans to have an Anaerobic Digester (AD) plant on the site the company has occupied since 1926 are given the green light. Designs for this safe, clean and unobtrusive way to produce low carbon sustainable energy have been submitted and local residents were given the opportunity to ask questions and voice any concerns at a ‘drop-in’ sessions in Crookhall Community Centre.
A similar Anaerobic Digester Plant which is currently being operated
in the UK.
In Germany, who lead the way in sustainable energy technology, over 5000 Anaerobic Digester plants have been producing clean green power for some time – and Hallwick Energy, Thomas Swan’s partners in this project are specialists who have built and operate three AD plants in the UK. The plan is for Hallwick to lease land from Thomas Swan, build and run the plant and sell low cost low carbon energy to the company, with any surplus being fed into the National Grid.
Harry Swan, Managing Director of Thomas Swan & Co., explains: ‘We are very keen to become a greener, more sustainable company and this AD plant gives us the opportunity to use power which is sustainably produced and less susceptible to ever rising prices. The cost of power is a huge problem for many companies in the UK. We are committed to using renewable energy which is reliable and makes us self-sufficient – reducing our overheads, protecting existing jobs and hopefully, creating new ones.’
Simple, sustainable power – produced cleanly and safely
The basis of Anaerobic Digester technology is simple. The plant is fed with familiar crops like grass and maize, which is harvested as normal, stored on site and used as required. Within the plant itself the crops are broken down by anaerobic bacteria in a tightly sealed unit, releasing the biogas which is converted to electricity. Because the process is sealed and anaerobic – without oxygen – no odour can escape. There is no gas to be burnt off either, apart from during maintenance times when a short, normally invisible, safety flare will act as a valve.
Used material from the plant is stored in a residue tank to be used as natural fertiliser and soil conditioner by the same farmers who produced the crops originally. Nothing is wasted, and the plant reduces the farmer’s reliance on chemical fertilisers – and their costs and carbon emissions. They’re real winners from this exciting new development, as is the environment.
The site will be landscaped, as agreed with the local planning authority, with the inclusion of a rainwater lagoon and the continued maintenance of all existing footpaths, ensuring access to the fields and byways around the Thomas Swan site. The long-term impact will be to ensure Thomas Swan, one of the area’s main employers, can protect jobs now and into the future, by securing, fixed-price, sustainable energy – underpinning its green agenda.
About Thomas Swan & Co
Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. was founded in 1926 and remains an independent, family run performance and speciality chemicals manufacturer. Today the company makes over 100 products and exports to over 80 countries world-wide.