Cheshire West town biomethane plant plans unanimously approved
Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning committee met on Tuesday, October 6, where it gave its full backing to the transformation of the former Renescience site into a biometh
By Chester Standard
Plans to transform the former Renescience site near Northwich into a biomethane production facility have been unanimously approved by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning committee.
The committee backed the application at its meeting on Tuesday, October 6. The site is in Lostock Gralam, near Northwich.
The plans were submitted by Northwich Biogas Ltd, a subsidiary of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. The company bought the former Renescience site from Ørsted in 2025.
The proposal will refurbish the existing facility and phase out its municipal solid waste pre-treatment operation. It includes a new digester tank, biomethane upgrading units and carbon capture technology.
The completed plant is expected to process 177,000 tonnes of industrial organic and food waste each year. The resulting biogas will be upgraded to biomethane for injection into the national gas grid.
The facility is located off Griffiths Road. During the planning consultation, surrounding parish councils and Northwich Town Council raised concerns about odour, noise and traffic.
A council officer’s report said the plant would operate under an odour management plan containing specific control measures.
The report said the development would extend an existing anaerobic digestion facility, increase its capacity to handle source-separated organic and food waste, and allow biogas to be upgraded for supply to the gas grid.