Surrey's Future Biogas partners with AstraZeneca to create biomethane energy facility
Future Biogas has signed a long term partnership with AstraZeneca to create the UK’s first unsubsidised industrial-scale supply of biomethane gas.
The Surrey Research Park firm has signed a 15-year agreement with the pharmaceutical firm that will see a biomethane facility built to supply its sites in Macclesfield, Cambridge, Luton and Speke with 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year.
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Once operational in early 2025, the anaerobic digestion facility will reduce emissions by an estimated 20,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent (CO2e), adding renewable energy capacity to the national gas grid.
Philipp Lukas, CEO of Future Biogas, said: “AstraZeneca’s ground-breaking investment in green gas affirms its status as a global leader in the transition to net zero. The opportunity to combine unsubsidised biomethane production with regenerative farming benefits local farms and supports the growing focus on soil health and sustainable food production. Future Biogas expects this model to be adopted by many other innovative organisations with strong net zero ambitions.”
The site will utilise locally-grown crops as feedstock and support farms with sustainable land management practices, enabling the development of a circular agricultural economy.
Bioenergy crops will be grown as part of diverse crop rotations and will follow regenerative agriculture practices, promoting nutrient cycling and improving soil health.
The new plant will be fitted with bioenergy carbon capture and storage capability (BECCS) which has the potential to enable the carbon negative operation of the plant.
