A community biodigester for Ledbury

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A community biodigester for Ledbury?
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Summary

• We are considering putting in a proposal for a
  community biodigester to the Big Green Challenge.
  Here we explain
• Who we are
• What the Big Green Challenge is
• What we want to do
• Why we want to do it

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Who are we?

• Really Use-Less Group citizens trying to reduce
  personal and town carbon emissions
• Going about two years
• 12 core members 70 on mailing list
• Groups working on green festival on May 31st
  allotments Ledburys carbon footprint etc.
• May evolve into Transition Town Ledbury. 29
  official Transition Towns 200 considering it.

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The Big Green Challenge

• 1m prize fund for innovative community
  approaches working towards 60 cut in carbon
  emissions
• Initial applications by 29th February
• 100 selected for next stage
• 10 given a year and 20k to work up plan
• 1 winner will scoop most of 1m prize
• See www.biggreenchallenge.org.uk/

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What is a biodigester?

• A sealed vessel in which microbiological
  processes break down organic matter to produce
• Methane
• Digestate - the solids/liquids which remain at
  the end of the process

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Benefits

• Methane - a high calorific value fuel gas - can
  be used to produce electricity and hot water
• May be able to sell electricity to the grid
• Or can be used as fuel for cars
• Methane doesnt enter the atmosphere as a
  dangerous greenhouse gas, as with landfill
• Digestate valuable fertiliser and soil
  conditioner

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Risks and downsides

• None that we can see
• No smell biodigester totally sealed and
  digestate odourless. Six weeks after biodigester
  started in Ludlow, people nearby asked when it
  was due to open they hadnt noticed it.
• Little extra traffic less than one extra
  tractor/trailer per day

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A community biodigester

• We propose that the biodigester be funded by a
  share issue from a community owned company.
• The sale of electricity and heat or fuel gas as
  well as the fertiliser/soil conditioner would
  generate revenue to run the digester and to
  enable a dividend to be paid annually to the
  shareholders

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Whats in it for Ledbury?

• UK first the only community owned renewable
  energy projects, so far, have been community
  owned windfarms
• Jobs operating the digester and collecting the
  waste food
• Educational visits by local schools and groups
  interested in renewable energy production

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Making it happen

• Location on the outskirts of town, possibly on
  the same site as Q-groups apple processing plant
  which may also have an biodigester.
• Partners Herefordshire Council, food processors
  with a waste stream, cheese makers, cider makers,
  farmers - the stronger the waste the more methane
  is produced
• Next steps bring in partners engage the
  community involvement plan share issue

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Why we think we can do it

• Project led by Jay Abrahams, who is on the
  Steering Group of RUG/ Transition Town Ledbury
• Microbiologist with 30 years experience of
  Anaerobic Digestion
• Has worked recently with Bulmers looking at the
  Anaerobic Digestion of the pomace produced at
  Plough Lane.
• RUG starting to formalise adopt constitution,
  set up bank account etc.

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What we want from you

• Support in principle for a community digester for
  Ledbury, a project which will be a beacon towards
  a low carbon, renewable energy future...
• Let us cite that support in our application