Clegg Associates have been appointed as client’s engineers by PWCL to work on Ecotricity’s first vegan anaerobic digestion plant. Work on the project, based near Reading, Berkshire, has begun and is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
When finished, the plant will supply entirely vegan energy to 4,000 homes on the national grid.
Our frequent partners, Paul Winter Consulting Ltd, are managing the construction project on behalf of Ecotricity.
What is ‘vegan’ energy?
Surprisingly, not all energy is vegan. One per cent of the UK’s energy – which powers roughly 60 per cent of homes – is produced with animal exploitation. For example, manure from livestock factory farms is used as fuel to burn to produce energy, as well as in anaerobic digestion (AD) vats to produce biomethane.
Vegan energy is produced without any animal involvement. There are plenty of ways to produce vegan electricity – wind, solar and geothermal power are all animal-exploitation-free – but vegan gas production is more complex.
Anaerobic digestion of green matter produces biogas in a completely vegan way. Once produced, this vegan biogas can be used to generate electricity or biomethane (gas for household use).
Who are Ecotricity?
Ecotricity is a British energy company based in Gloucester. One of the UK’s greenest energy companies, Ecotricity supplies 100 per cent renewable energy and frack-free gas. What’s more, all energy they produce is certified vegan.
Ecotricity have been investing in renewable energy infrastructure since they began over 20 years ago, and we’re proud to be working on their very first vegan anaerobic digestion plant.
The project
Ecotricity have recruited Paul Winter Consulting Ltd to manage the project. The Andover-based project management and construction specialists are frequent partners of Clegg Associates – we have worked closely with the PWCL team on a range of projects for many years.
PWCL have employed Clegg Associates as their clients’ consulting engineers for this exciting and innovative project.
Fuelled by green matter such as grass, maize, grain and herbal lays, the plant will produce gas that is not only vegan, but also carbon neutral. In the future, the plant will have the potential to become carbon negative, too.
Construction is already underway, with completion planned for the end of the year. It is expected that the finished plant will begin supplying 4,000 homes with energy in 2023.
At Clegg Associates, we’re delighted to be working on this cutting-edge project that will benefit the environment as well as the client. If you’d like to work with us on an upcoming project, contact us today.