£18m energy plant set to power up the region

FOLLOWING an £18m investment, a major sustainable energy plant has opened in North Yorkshire.

The Leeming Biogas facility will be one of the biggest of its type in the country.

Having been launched by JFS & Associates and Iona Capital, the site will feed gas directly into the national grid., breaking down food waste and capturing the natural bioethane released.

The developers said that 80,000 tons of food waste every year will be recycled in this way, supplying businesses including R&R Ice Cream.

It will also generate enough gas to supply nearly 4,000 homes a year. Even the by-products will be used as fertilisers.

Lord Kerslake, the former head of the Home Civil Service and chief executive of Sheffield City Council, formally opened Leeming Biogas yesterday.

Matt Flint of JFS & Associates said: “The development of this Anaerobic Digestion plant is the biggest project JFS & Associates has undertaken. Without the strong relationship that JFS and Iona Capital have forged over the last four years, this flagship project would not have been possible in North Yorkshire.

“The project is a real example of how renewable technology, local resources and businesses can collaborate with City investors to develop a sustainable and environmentally friendly commercial enterprise.”

Mike Dunn of Iona Capital added: “This could not have been achieved without the support of some of the largest UK local authority pension funds, who remain committed to investing in environmental infrastructure projects that help our environment and create jobs.

“The plant has helped local businesses cut costs and boost their environmental credentials by partnering with us, and we look forward to exploring further opportunities to increase sustainable energy production in North Yorkshire.”