Project lead: Rosemount Farms
Project partners: SLR Consulting
Area: Angus
Main technology: Creation of a new fuel source
Local Energy Challenge Fund grant awarded: £212,000
About the project
The Montrose Local Energy Project seeks to create a new fuel source from a waste product – animal bedding. Working in collaboration with a number of consultancy organisations and a farm in Angus, the project uses waste animal bedding to produce pellets as a viable heat source.
The project faces several challenges because it is extremely innovative in creating pellets of this kind. The waste bedding must be dried and processed before being pelletised, with a view to selling these pellets on a commercial basis.
What makes this project innovative?
There is some research activity in this area, but very little in Scotland. Livestock farming accounts for over half of agriculture in Scotland, there is a huge potential opportunity to add value to what is currently a waste product. If a commercial business model can be developed, this will create a perfect example of circular economies and utilisation of waste materials.
The project is currently undertaking a range of trials to produce and test suitable pellets. As the pellets are made from waste products, there are stringent regulations which must be passed.
Read more in the case study and executive summary report.