Singleton Birch Anaerobic Digestion Plant

Client	Singleton Birch Ltd
Contractor	ATC
Project	AD Plant and Lagoon
Location	Melton Ross
Value	£1.7m

The Anaerobic Digestion Plant at Singleton Birch’s Melton Ross site forms part of the Company’s commitment to finding low carbon solutions to its large energy requirements.  ATC Ltd  partnered with the client in developing the scheme from conception and also worked alongside a German Technology provider (PlanET Biogastechnik) who installed the technology which changes organic materials into biogas by bacterial means.

The site is a redevelopment of the restored quarry and has required extensive ground stabilisation and excavation to keep the plant profile low and reduce it’s visual impact. The plant initially started and was registered as a 0.5MW plant but was built to increase to 1.5MW production.

The works included construction of a 16,900m3 lagoon for Leachate and dirty water storage resulting from the digestion process and rainfall. The lagoon included a 300mm engineered clay liner overlaid with 1m HDPE liner with a 1mm LLDPE cover and leak detection system.

Three silage clamps for maize and energy beet were constructed with 21,000T storage capacity. The walls were formed from the Bock walling system, which ATC installed, and agricultural surfacing. ATC also designed and installed all the concrete reinforced foundations for the mechanical and electrical equipment.

A liner under the AD plant is used to collect rain water from the clean area  which is stored in a 100m3 underground storage tank and is then pumped to be reused in the lime making process.

Further works included:- Installation of dirty water drainage included the installation of 193m3 underground storage tank, construction of an extensive ductwork system and cable turning chambers, which also included construction of a switch room and transformer pen.

The project was successfully completed as a design and construct scheme in Spring 2014 and is now  fully operational.

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