An Ayrshire green energy firm has unveiled a plan to process up to 20,000 tonnes of distillery by-product – and turn it into gas.
Grissan Carrick Ltd is seeking permission to install the infrastructure to support the venture at their site in Grangestone Industrial Estate, Girvan.
If approved, work would begin to build a concrete containment ‘bund’ to house two 5000m3 anaerobic digestion tanks, measuring approximately 32 metres in diameter and 16.8m in height, with two feed intake tanks, a blending tank and process water tank.
In addition, the plan would also involve the installation of other necessary infrastructure such as a biomethane upgrader, emergency gas flare, LPG Tanks, gas injection unit, and ancillary equipment outside the bund. A new private access link would also be established.
It’s all so that Grissan can support and process by-products from the nearby William Grant & Sons Distillers.
Using a technique called anaerobic digestion (AD), the process would see up to 2 megawatts (MW) of indigenous renewable gas produced.
Anaerobic Digestion is the process where organic material is biologically treated in the absence of oxygen using naturally occurring micro-organisms to produce biogas, which is then fed into the National Gas Grid- after it is cleaned of impurities.
This proposal comes following a review of the existing AD plant at the site, where it was concluded that it would be “more efficient” to construct new AD infrastructure alongside the “existing facility”.
A supporting statement from Grissan said: “It is envisaged that this anaerobic digestion operation will process approximately 20,000 tonnes of distillery by-products from the adjacent William Grant & Sons Girvan Distillery. The proposal will generate up to 2 megawatts (MW) of indigenous renewable gas, which is the equivalent energy consumption for approximately 3,000 households.
“This AD plant would allow the Girvan Distillery to continue to use this alternative method for the treatment of its by-products while utilising the renewable energy and heat created by the process.
“It is anticipated that distillery by-product arisings will continue to increase in future from the Girvan Distillery.”
The site will also be accessed via a new internal access road from the Warehouses of the William Grant & Sons Girvan Distillery, or via the existing Ladywell Avenue entrance for the AD site.
Grissan also said the environmental impacts of the new infrastructure have been “evaluated” but they would “not result in any detrimental impacts” on the environment, or local amenity.
The plans are on South Ayrshire Council’s online planning portal and listed as ‘pending consideration’.
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