Cornish company leading the way in driving a local clean energy revolution

An innovative Cornish company is putting Cornwall at the centre of a local clean energy revolution – thanks to its ground breaking work in creating a new ‘green’ fuel from organic materials such as cow manure and grass cuttings.

Established in 2011 by two local entrepreneurs, Bennamann is based on two sites in Mid Cornwall, a dairy farm to the west of Truro, and an office and workshop space in Sector 2, the flagship gateway development at the Aerohub Business Park near Newquay developed by Cornwall Council, with co-funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the Cornwall and Isles Scilly Growth Programme.

Working with a range of partners and local farmers, the award-winning company is exploring the use of new technologies to turn organic waste from farms into biomethane, a zero-carbon fuel that can be used to power lorries and tractors, heat households and businesses and provide hot water and gas for cooking.

“We are passionate about delivering a local clean energy revolution that brings commercially viable, sustainable production and distribution of small scale farm biomethane sourcing to the market place” said Chris Mann, Bennamann co-founder and Chief Executive. “We are very proud to be a Cornish company that has the potential to radically change the global energy market and look forward to putting Cornwall at the forefront of the pioneering renewable energy innovation.”

Bennamann is currently working with Cornwall Council and Corserv on a pilot project which will see slurry from six of Cornwall’s tenant dairy farms turned into the alternative fuel.

If the pilot scheme, believed to be the first of its type in the world, proves successful, the revolutionary technology will be considered for roll-out to more farms in Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate, helping Cornwall to achieve its net-zero carbon by 2030 target.

Bennamann is also working on an exciting £1.22m research and development project to establish an independent energy farm in Cornwall.

Part funded by an ERDF grant, with support from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Programme, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, Cornwall Development Company, Exeter University and Chynoweth Farm Partners, the Energy Independent Farming project is looking at ways to maximise the use of on-site renewable energy resources to supply all the energy needed for a dairy farm.

As well as enabling farms to become low-carbon by using animal waste to deliver energy, the project is also looking at using other technologies to help them to become more energy independent and sustainable. Any surplus energy production will be made available for local sale and use, creating added income for their businesses.

“We are developing technology to cover every step of the whole biomethane supply chain, from handling and processing the slurry itself through to the innovative tank technologies needed to transport and use the fuel produced, and every element in between” explained Dr Tim Fox, Head of Marketing and Public Affairs at Bennamann.  “We have started with dairy farms but will move into other livestock areas as well. If there is muck, we will use it!”

“Our energy independent farming project aligns perfectly with Cornwall Council’s ambitions for a zero-carbon Cornwall. Also. with the new ‘green fuel’ costing considerably less than fossil fuels such as petrol, diesel, heating oil and propane gas, it will also help tackle fuel poverty by helping to reduce energy bills. And without the funding from the ERDF it simply would not have happened, it could not have come at a better time for the county and us.”

The company is not just focused on farms, however. They are also looking at developing ways to produce biomethane from grass cuttings, opening up new opportunities for local communities and land owners to participate in the energy market.

“We know that communities and landowners already maintain sports grounds, village greens, school playing fields and roadside verges, often having to pay to dispose of the grass cuttings.  This project will enable them to use the grass cuttings to produce energy, saving on costs and creating additional income.”

Bennamann has already completed a Tevi-funded ‘grass to gas’ feasibility study at Cornwall Airport Newquay. While it is looking to develop the programme in Cornwall initially, the plan is to roll it out beyond the county in the future.