Power firm plans £40m renewables gas plant for Belfast

Energia Group – formerly known as Viridian – has launched plans to build a £40m anaerobic digestion plant in Belfast.The Power NI parent company, which rebranded from Viridian in May, has said there would be 200 construction jobs involved during the building of the renewable energy plant, while 20 people would be employed when it’s up and running.The business plans to use food and garden waste to fuel the digesters. The methane gas produced will then be used to generate electricity while any by-product is expected to be dried and used as fertiliser.The proposed nine-acre development at the North Foreshore would consist of weighbridges, an office building, waste reception areas, nine tanks and a biogas holder.It’s the group’s first major anaerobic digestion plant in Northern Ireland and is a significant investment by the company.