A GREEN energy company is to appeal the refusal of its planning application to build an anaerobic digestion plant at Fearne in Easter Ross.
Acorn Bioenergy saw its proposals for a £36 million facility to produce biomethane and biogenic carbon, which it says will help Scotland achieve net-zero targets and provide a long-term source of income for farmers, refused by The Highland Council in November.
A report in The Northern Times said the council had cited risks to aviation safety among the reasons for refusing the application, while protestors had reportedly voiced concerns over potential economic, environmental, and social impacts.
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However, Acorn confirmed today that it has lodged an appeal to the decision with the Scottish Government.
The company said its proposals would create 15 new full-time jobs and support around 100 during the plant’s construction.
Alister Veitch of Acorn Bioenergy said: “Anaerobic digestion is a tried-and-tested, technology that can safely and efficiently produce the clean green fuel that is needed to help decarbonise industries, achieve net-zero targets, and build energy security.
“The development of the industry offers a new long-term source of income for farmers providing the feedstock needed year-round to produce the biomethane.
“It can provide a circular economy solution for the high energy demands of the whisky industry, helping decarbonise operations from field to bottle, while also contributing to The Highland Council’s carbon neutral targets.
“While we are disappointed by the outcome of our planning application to the council, we hope Scottish Ministers will recognise its merits and benefits and the clear alignment there is with the Scottish Government’s own objectives on achieving net-zero, decarbonising key industries and driving more sustainable agriculture and so enable us to work with farmers and distillers in the area to start developing this important new industry.”
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Acorn said the proposed site could become the first of several Acorn plants to be developed in the north of Scotland, if approved. It noted that such sites would align with Scotland’s net-zero ambitions and said the biomethane produced, using crops and by-products from local farms, could be added to the gas grid to heat homes, help local industry decarbonise, power heavy goods vehicles, and contribute to overall energy security.
It added that, once operational, the plant would generate enough biomethane to heat around 8,000 homes or fuel 270 heavy goods vehicles a year. Biogas produced by the plant would be transported by Acorn’s own fleet of biomethane-powered tankers.
Acorn said it has applied for planning permission for similar plants near Elgin and Buckie, in Moray. Last year The Highland Council approved its plans for an injection point near Inverness, where the biogas, transported to the site by biomethane-fuelled tankers, can be added to the grid.
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