SUEZ
is proposing to develop an anaerobic
digestion facility at our Ellington Road site,
in between Ashington and Linton Colliery.
The facility will replace an existing
composting facility.
There is a national need to reduce food waste and
put any food that is wasted to good use. Our proposed
facility is designed to do just that, by turning food
waste from across the region into reliable renewable
energy and compost-like soil improver – a win-win for
our communities and the environment.
Why do we need anaerobic digestion facilities?
The government has a strategy to reduce
food waste and put any food that is wasted
to good use, generating renewable energy
and therefore helping achieve its goal to
eliminate food waste to landfill by 2030.
Following consultation on the government’s
2021 Environment Bill, it’s expected that
homes and businesses will be required to
separate and recycle food waste, just like
they do for cardboard and glass.
Anaerobic digestion facilities will be key
to putting this collected food waste to
good use. They do it by turning the waste
into a renewable and reliable supply of
‘green’ biogas, and digestate, a compost‑like
soil improver.
50,000
tonnes
of food waste per year transformed into enough power for ...
Our Ellington Road site is not expanding.
If approved, the anaerobic digestion facility
would sit on the site of an existing waste
treatment facility, an in-vessel composter,
which will be demolished to make way for
the new facility.
The proposed anaerobic digestion
facility will be comprised of a building,
three digester tanks and several other
smaller tanks.
Overall, the facility would sit on a footprint
of 12,500m2 which is roughly the size of
two football pitches. The building will be
approximately 1,950m2 in area and have a
maximum height of 17m. The digester tanks
will have a diameter of 32m and a maximum
height of 15.5m. The other tanks will be no
higher than 17m.
The new facility is a more efficient and
controlled technology than in-vessel
composting and will be developed adjacent
to the rest of the Ellington Road site.
Considering this and the local landscape,
our project is not expected to substantially
alter the appearance of the existing site.
Why build it at our Ellington Road site?
Our Ellington Road site is a good location for
the anaerobic digestion facility, because:
The site already processes
organic wastes.
We identified that once separate food
waste collections begin in earnest,
there will be a treatment capacity gap
in the region.
Our Ellington Road site is located close
to the city of Newcastle and the main
settlements of Northumberland allowing
for easy transport of food waste.
The site is located very close to the
gas grid, allowing ease of transportation
of biogas from the facility onto homes
and businesses.
What the proposals mean for you and your community
When compared to
the existing in‑vessel composting facility,
we expect that the proposed facility will not
result in any new impacts on biodiversity,
noise, odour or traffic and will not alter the
character of the area.
An Environmental Impact Assessment
is not required for the development due
to its expected low impact. Nonetheless,
relevant surveys and site investigations
covering the above topics will be submitted
as part of the planning application
to Northumberland County Council.
Visual / landscape
The new anaerobic digestion facility will
have a similar footprint to our existing
in-vessel composting facility. It is also
anticipated that the buildings will blend into
the local landscape in a similar fashion to the
existing facility and the development will be
purposefully coloured to further blend into
the landscape. A landscape appraisal will be
submitted as part of the planning application
to assess any impacts.
Odour
Odour will be controlled. The process will
be fully enclosed with material pumped
around the plant reducing the release of
odours. Air within the building and digesters
will be treated prior to release and we
will have strict odour limits. These odour
controls are much more sophisticated than
that of the existing open-sided in-vessel
composting facility, which will be replaced.
Noise
Noise from the operations will be limited
as the building is fully enclosed. The facility
pumps material from one area to another
so there will be fewer vehicles working
inside the building. A noise assessment
will be undertaken as part of the planning
application and noise reduction measures will
be factored into the construction if necessary.
Traffic
Construction traffic will be subjected to a
Traffic Management Plan, agreed with the
local authority, to ensure safe movement in
and around the site. It is expected that traffic
will move via the A189 and the A1068 to avoid
residential areas.
During operation, it is anticipated that the
anaerobic digestion facility will replicate the
existing vehicle movements delivering waste
to be treated. These deliveries to the facility
are expected to be restricted in-line with
current conditions restricting movements
to 125 vehicles per day across the entire
site and will only take place between
07:00–20:00 Monday to Friday and
07:00–17:00 on a Saturday.
Biodiversity
It is expected that the development will not
have a negative impact on the biodiversity as
the anaerobic digestion facility would be built
on previously developed land, replacing the
in-vessel composting facility.
We will undertake a range of ecology surveys
to ensure there are no risks to surrounding
wildlife and habitats.
Anticipated project timeline
Once the public consultation has ended, we will be submitting our planning application to Northumberland County Council, which we expect will happen in Summer 2022.
After we submit our planning application, you will also be able to submit your views directly to the council.
If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2023 with the anaerobic digestion facility expected to be commissioned in 2024 and fully operational in 2025.
