Agri-Energy reveals plans for a £50m plant in Wales that will convert cooking oil and crops into electricity and bio-diesel

Plans have been revealed that will covert cooking oil into enough energy to power 60,000 homes.

Oil processed at the proposed £50m plant in Milford haven, Pembrokeshire would generate 35 mega Watts of power. It would also make around 200,000 tonnes of bio-diesel annually, mainly for use in local refineries.

Robert Behan, chief executive of Agri-Energy, the company behind the initiative, said: “It effectively involves the conversion of environmentally sustainable feed stocks, such as tallow and used cooking oil, along with virgin oil crops, such as rapeseed, into bio-diesel and power.”

Raw materials would predominantly come from the company’s own abattoirs in the UK, from its used cooking oil stocks, and from various partners, such as McDonald’s and Burger King.

Local politicians in Wales have expressed concern over possible traffic and odours, but Behan said there would be no odours at the perimeter of the site and that Agri-Energy was working with the council to reduce traffic impact.

Agri-Energy said that about 100 people would be employed during construction, with a further 80 full-time staff running the plant.

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