The planned site for the proposed AD plant is an approximately 11 hectare (30 acres) area of land on the north side of the A1307, at the existing location of Spring Farm.

See the  Location & Site page for more details.

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a process that breaks down organic matter (e.g. vegetation, animal waste, food waste) to produce gas and slurry (the latter is often refer to as ‘digestate’).

The gas (a mixture of mostly methane and carbon dioxide) can be sold and the digestate can be used as spreadable fertiliser. See our page on the process for more details and information.

The facts as we currently know them are:

1. This AD plant will be approx 11 hectares (approx 15 football picthes) in size, and will be constructed with a hard standing/concrete base - this will inevitably reduce the capacity of the land to absorb rainfall and therefore increase the risk of flooding
2. The plant will operate 24/7 with plant machinery (pumps/stirrers etc.) running  either continuously or often during the day - there will an unavoidable increase in the continuous ambient noise levels at the plant location, and this is likely to be heard further afield constantly in the  background 
3. By-products of Anaerobic Digestion include hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and volatile acids which, in some circumstances, can be produced in higher than normal levels and are very malodourous - any leaks could release these into the atmosphere and result in unpleasant smells, possibly over a wide area depending the weather
4. Materials needed for the digestion process (plant crops, chicken manure) will require transportation to the plant by HGV on a constant schedule - this will inevitably increase the traffic levels in the locality, adding to issues with capacity, safety and traffic noise
5. The AD plant will be sited at Spring Grove Farm, on the north side of the A1307 just before the Spirit of Enterprise roundabout. It would be the second largest facility in the UK, at 11 hectares in size, and with fermentation tanks 16.5m high - a plant this size cannot be effectively screened, and the approach to Havehill would be dominated by such a large-scale industrial facility
6. By exisiting, this facility would increase risk in the areas of pollution, flood, environmental disaster, and industrial major incident - without this plant these risks would simply not exist, removing any negative consequences such as stress on the local population affected, reduction in property values, and any negative perceptions reducing the prestige of the area. 

Acorn Bioenergy is a UK Limited company (Company no: 12020505) and are a developer of anaerobic digestion sites. Acorn Bioenergy currently has around 17 employees.

Acorn is privately held, private equity-backed, and is a for-profit company. Founded in 2019 as P3P Partners LLP, a dedicated anaerobic digestion business, it is a young company.

As a start-up company with no track record, to date Acorn Bioenergy do not appear to have built and run any AD energy installations.

Acorn has secured a generous UK Government subsidy in the form of Renewable Heat Incentive. This is a 20-year, inflation-protected income stream, approved by Ofgem.

In September 2022, the Spanish fund manager and financial services company, Qualitas Energy, acquired an 85% stake in Acorn Bioenergy for an undisclosed sum. At this point, P3P Partners LLP ceased to have significant control, and are now minority shareholders only.

In relation to another application by Acorn for an AD plant in the Stratford-on-Avon District - it emerged at the October 2022 meeting of Tysoe Parish Council, that despite using UK Government subsidy for the plant, all profits from the proposed Tysoe gas plant would go outside of the UK, to Spain.