JOHN LAING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS GROUP LIMITED(“JLEN” or the “Company”)
Further Investment inVulcan Renewables anaerobic digestion plant
JLEN, the listed environmental infrastructure fund, is pleased to announce a further investment in the Vulcan Renewables anaerobic digestion (AD) plant. The investment consists of provision of funding of c.£8.5m to significantly expand the AD plant’s biomethane generating capacity.
Vulcan Renewables Ltd was acquired by the Company in August 2017. The AD plant is located in Hatfield Woodhouse, 9 miles north east of Doncaster, South Yorkshire and was commissioned in October 2013. It has a current capacity of 5MWth and predominantly produces biomethane. In addition, the plant also has a 0.5MWe CHP engine and is accredited under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and Feed-in-Tariff (FiT).
The plant extension will be carried out by Future Biogas, JLEN’s business partner in the AD sector and current service provider at the Vulcan site. The works involve converting the existing storage tank to a primary digester, providing for separate digestate storage, installing an additional biomethane upgrading unit, together with associated engineering, electrical and civil works. The construction works are expected to complete in late 2019. Operations will continue throughout this period with no expectation of significant downtime.
This further investment in the Vulcan Renewables AD plant will be funded by a draw-down under the Company’s revolving credit facility.
Richard Morse, the JLEN Chairman, said “We are pleased with our initial investments in the anaerobic digestion sector, and this expansion project is a good opportunity to build out our capability at the Vulcan Renewables AD plant. It represents our first investment in a construction project, and we have taken care to understand and limit the risks involved, including through the choice of Future Biogas as our delivery partner. We are looking forward to a successful delivery and enhanced revenues once completed.”