Plans to produce biochar in Ludlow given the go-ahead 

Shropshire Council’s plans to develop a pyrolysis plant on Ludlow’s Coder Road business park have been given the go-ahead  at Southern Planning Committee on Tuesday 25 March 2025. 

The application received unanimous support from the cross-party committee following the Planning Officer’s recommendation to approve the application. The environmentally sustainable initiative will assist the council towards achieving its climate change targets, produce a small amount of renewable energy and the biochar product can be sold for many uses in agriculture, construction and industry.  

The first on site activity will be the decommissioning and removal of equipment from the former biodigester use of the site scheduled for late spring 2025.  The new plant will be installed over summer and autumn 2025, with the aim to have the plant operational early in 2026. BioDynamic Carbon Ltd, a joint venture company with Shropshire Council will operate the plant following its successful tender application earlier this year. 

Once operational, the plant is expected to produce around 1,000 Tonnes of biochar per year from feedstock such as low-grade arboricultural arisings from managing the many thousands of trees the council is responsible for and from waste from the timber supply industry.   

Biochar has excellent environmental benefits. As well as stabilising and storing carbon to prevent its release to the atmosphere, it has many uses including as a soil improver in agriculture, filtering pollutants from water, within poultry litter to improve bird hygiene and welfare and within many construction materials.  

This latest plant follows a successful introduction into the production of biochar for the council, after it was the first council in the UK to set up a joint venture to do just that. 

Just after Christmas, it’s first pyrolysis unit near Welshpool in Powys became operational producing biochar, helping to offset carbon emissions, whilst being sold to a range of customers. 

Mark Foxall, Shropshire Council’s technical support and projects manager, said: 

“The creation of biochar is an innovative and sustainable way to reduce our net carbon emissions as a council as well as generating income to support delivery of essential public services.  

“Our first plant is already producing biochar and we are pleased with its performance and output. With the planning application for our Ludlow site having now received approval we’re now looking forward to getting started on our second biochar project.” 

Dan Wrench, Shropshire Council’s climate and carbon project officer, added: 

“Shropshire Council is continuing to engage with government, academia and other councils who have registered their interest in the many benefits of producing biochar. 

“It’s great that we’ve had so much interest in our biochar plans. We have been approached by over 30 other councils and several businesses looking to invest in the technology.’’   

The site will be used for educational purposes and knowledge sharing about this climate action technology. The council intends to continue engaging with the local community to share the benefits this plant can bring to the local economy and to the environment.

For further information about biochar from pyrolysis, people can visit the council’s website here:  Biochar from pyrolysis | Shropshire Council  

While the council faces significant financial challenges, the money being used to invest in the biochar project is coming from the council’s capital budget. It is not allowed to use its capital budget to pay for the delivery of services, it’s money that it must use to invest in projects that support economic, housing and population growth. And this is one of them.