Acorn Bioenergy has launched Winchester’s first renewable anaerobic digestion (AD) facility at Three Maids Hill. Now fully operational and supplying renewable gas to the national grid, the plant was officially opened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Winchester City Council Leader Councillor Martin Tod, local stakeholders, politicians and partner farmers.
Alister Veitch, Head of Business Development at Acorn Bioenergy, said: “A real flagship hub for Acorn Bioenergy, we were delighted to launch the Three Maids facility, to demonstrate how renewable biogas generation can power homes, strengthen food security and support the UK’s net zero ambitions. Alongside our dozen sites in development, it is a major step towards our ambition to supply 25% of the UK’s biomethane.”
The new facility, located alongside a solar farm and InstaVolt’s EV superhub near the A34, reinforces Winchester’s position as an emerging “renewable energy hub”. The plant has already created 15 jobs and is expected to support up to 50 positions within the wider engineering, rural and infrastructure supply chain.
Designed to process 83,600 tonnes of agricultural residues, local agri-waste and break crops annually, the site will produce more than 120 GWh of biomethane per year, enough to meet the entire heat demand of more than 9,000 homes. By turning farming waste such as slurries, manures and rotational crops into green energy, the facility will save approximately 30,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, the equivalent of planting 1.2 million trees or removing 15,000 cars from the road.
The site also generates nutrient-rich bio-fertiliser – known as digestate – that is returned to local farms to improve soil health and reduce reliance on imported and carbon-intensive alternatives, as well as high-purity green CO₂ for sustainable industrial uses.
The project is already delivering tangible benefits to local farmers, providing guaranteed fixed-pricing agreements that shield them from volatile commodity markets while lowering fertiliser costs through the use of digestate, as well as providing farmers with a local outlet for break crops grown as part of sustainable crop rotations.
Minister for Industry, Sarah Jones, said: “Biomethane can play an important role in reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels, boosting our energy security and helping us accelerate to net zero.”
By producing constant renewable gas, the Winchester plant complements intermittent sources such as wind and solar, strengthening the UK’s energy system and contributing to the Government’s ambition to quadruple biomethane production by 2030–2035.
Acorn Bioenergy is already constructing two further plants in the United Kingdom, alongside a dedicated gas injection hub. The company was acquired in 2022 by Qualitas Energy, a leading global investment and management platform with a dual focus on both funding and developing renewable energy, energy transition, and sustainable infrastructure.
For more information on Acorn Bioenergy, please visit: https://www.acornbioenergy.com
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