Anaerobic Digester Plant - Rainbarrow Farm

Rainbarrow Farm is the home of the UK’s first biomethane to grid anaerobic digestion plant. Following a major upgrade in 2020, it now produces enough renewable gas for 7,500 houses mid-winter and 100,000 houses mid-summer.

Biogas produced at Rainbarrow Farm was first cleaned and injected as biomethane into the local gas distribution network on 11 October 2012. J V Energen LLP, a joint venture partnership, was formed between the Duchy of Cornwall, local farmers who needed more sustainable break crops and fertiliser sources, and Active Business Partnerships. J V Energen produced the first biomethane registered with the Green Gas Certification Scheme, with the first purchases being made by The Duchy of Cornwall and The Prince of Wales’s Office.

Two further value-added sustainable ventures have been created

• Digestate – the material left at the end of the AD process – is dried, bagged and sold as Bloomin Amazing, a nutrient rich soil conditioner. This helps farmers and gardeners reduce reliance on more costly, oil derived fertilisers.
• Carbon dioxide – in a joint venture with another AD plant in Herefordshire, BioCarbonics has been established to provide the food and drink industry with high-quality, renewably sourced carbon dioxide.