Lightning strike safety fears flagged over £30m Acorn Bioenergy Fearn plant proposal in wake of Oxfordshire fireball
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CONCERNS that a controversial £30m biogas plant in Easter Ross could be vulnerable to the sort of fireball lightning strike explosion seen in Oxfordshire this week have been raised just weeks before a decision is expected.
Acorn Bioenergy wants to build an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant on a 7.5-hectare site at Fearn Airfield, near Balintore, to produce what it calls "clean, green biogas" using crops and by-products from local farms and distilleries.
The bid lodged almost a year ago has triggered scores of objections with protesters warning of severe economic, environmental and social impacts and claiming the farming, tourism and hospitality sectors will all affected.
Concerns about emergency services access were voiced after a recent fire at Fearn Drome Garage resulted in devastating loss of the building. One objector, David Edes, asked via the ePlanning portal: "Can Scottish Fire And Rescue confirm that they have the resources available to deal with a catastrophic explosion should the plant be given planning permission?"
A dramatic explosion at a biogas plant near Yarnton in Oxfordshire following a lightning strike on Monday created a fireball seen for miles around and triggered fresh safety concerns.
See also: Objector demands for economic, social and environmental impact assessment over biogas plants
Acorn Energy submits planning application for Fearn biogas plant
Pictures - Fearn garage gutted by fire
One local objector, Charlotte Seddon, said: "Many supporters of the AD plant people have called it scaremongering to say that these sites are potentially explosive but the point is it can happen and it did this week and this proposed site is near several homes and businesses.
"It is really frightening to see the scale of the awful explosion and that is, I believe, a smaller site than the one proposed here at Fearn."
A spokesperson for Acorn Bioenergy said: “Whilst lightning strikes are extremely rare, Acorn are prepared for every eventuality and are designing the digester tanks with appropriate lightning protection within critical control measures in line with an effective health and safety management system.”
It is understood Acorn’s planning application for the Fearn site is due to be considered by Highland Council’s north area planning committee in November.
If the application is successful, the company hopes to start work on the site next year.
A spokesman said: "Developing the Fearn plant will represent an investment by Acorn in the Highland region of around £30 million. It will create good, sustainable jobs locally and help decarbonise the whisky distilling and farming industries, while supporting regional and national net-zero ambitions."
Acorn – which has wider development plans in Scotland – says five jobs will be created at the site, along with a further 10 off-site and around 70 more in the local supply chain. Construction will generate around 100 jobs and 80 in the supply chain, it says.
It says further details of its proposals are contained in the socio-economic impact assessment, conducted by an independent consultant, and available on Highland Council’s online planning pages.
