Foresight acquires AD plants, supports biomass CHP project

U.K.-based Foresight Group recently acquired several anaerobic digestion (AD) projects, including those in Germany and the U.K., and announced support for a biomass-fired combined-heat-and-power (CHP) project in Italy.

On July 23, Foresight announced it has completed the acquisition of an AD plant on the Isle of Wight in the U.K. that can process more than 50,000 metric tons per year of energy crops. The 24-acre site has a CHP plant that provides 250 kW of electrical generating capacity to power the facility and produces 580 standard cubic meters per hour of biomethane export capacity to the grid.

Approximately one month earlier, on June 26, Foresight announced that it had acquired 100 percent of the shares in a portfolio of five Germany-based AD plants from Lindhorst Gruppe. In total, the plants export 17 MWe of electricity and biomethane. They also sell heat and certified biofertilizer.

Following both acquisitions, Foresight said it has now invested in 21 AD plants in the U.K., along with the five plants in Germany. Together, the plants have combined capacity of 36.5 MW.

In early July, Foresight also announced a €5.4 million arrangement and subscription of a project bond issued by Solis for a biomass-fired CHP plant in Italy through the Foresight Italian Green Bond Fund. The project will process up to 18,000 metric tons per year of virgin wood biomass, generating 22 MWh of electricity and 85 MWh of thermal power daily, which is enough to power 2,400 homes.