Frequently asked questions.

Ironstone Energy state that Anaerobic Digestion is Green Energy - how green is it?

Sometimes AD can be useful in turning farm waste to energy (and digestate) for use by that farm. This keeps the process on the farm and within a small area. When AD is used for farm waste, it does not require significant additional use of HGVs or other diesel vehicles and journey distances moving waste and digestate are minimal.

Ironstone Energy however are proposing an Industrial gas plant using Anaerobic Digestion where they propose to grow crops specifically to rot down and turn into bio-methane gas - to be exported for use by industry elsewhere.

The proposed Industrial Anaerobic Digester necessitates the use of 1000s of diesel fuelled vehicle journeys per year that create carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and other forms of harmful pollution.

Additionally, a by-product of industrial AD is - ironically - carbon dioxide which will be transported to Norway, at the rate of at least two HGVs a day. 

We believe that any environmental benefits claimed by Ironstone Energy will be wiped out by HGV use, as well as the construction of the site, which will use huge amounts of concrete, plastics and steel, all synthetic products.

Finally, taking land out of use for food production (therefore relying on alternative food being imported) and replacing edible crops with those grown for AD will in no way help farming’s transition to net-zero as claimed by Ironstone Energy in local press coverage.