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Onnu Presses Forward with Plans for Green Hubs in Wye Valley

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‍Land for first hub being acquired, local test facility established

Response from farming community, media and environmental groups has been, ‘spectacular,’ says Onnu CEO, but proper ownership of the solution still lacking

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Greentech company Onnu is acquiring land in Herefordshire on which to build the first of 3 Green Hubs. Onnu is in talks with poultry producers who wish to take advantage of its pyrolysis-based hubs to ensure safe and sustainable dispose of their litter. The company said that feedback on its plans has been very positive, but immediate action is needed to provide a sustainable solution to the problems posed by poultry litter in the Wye Valley and elsewhere.  

Onnu is acquiring a disused industrial plot in Herefordshire which is adjacent to a number of other light-industrial businesses. The proposed hub will be completed by next April and is the size of a typical barn, being two stories tall and approximately 20 by 40 metres with a facility for feedstock storage. Onnu will then actively engage with the local council to obtain all relevant planning permissions.

“Too many people are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to a problem that campaigners know requires action now: it feels that everyone is acutely aware of the problem, but the river won’t wait,” said Onnu CEO Giles Welch. “We’ve done the research, gathered the facts and have 100% confidence that our hubs are a key sustainable solution to the problems of poultry litter. We are doing all we can to ensure our first hub is up and running by next spring, and look forward to working with those in the poultry industry who want a solution now.”

Onnu’s green energy hubs use pyrolysis – the combustion of biomass in the absence of oxygen – to transform poultry litter into a solid biochar which has several sustainable applications: when used as a fertiliser, phosphorous is locked into the biochar preventing the run-off that has caused so much damage in the Wye Valley.  

“Our hubs are far less intrusive than alternative forms of litter treatment – they will be sited close to poultry farms to minimise transport costs and traffic disruption; and, as they are sealed systems, emissions will be negligible,” said Michael Douglas, Onnu’s Director of Projects. “In fact, the only impact our hubs will have on the local environment will be to enhance the quality of our river systems, and combat climate change.”

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About Onnu

Onnu’s ambition is to facilitate the transition to a Net Zero economy by realising the potential of biochar to tackle the world’s toughest decarbonisation challenges. It will achieve this by creating a pyrolysis-based Greentech industry that ensures waste biomass is processed in ways that are affordable, readily available – and acceptable to the public and the regulatory authorities. In the pursuit of that ambition, Onnu aims to build 100 pyrolysis-based energy hubs over the next decade.

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Contact Details:

Iain Halpin – Head ofCommunications

Iain.Halpin@onnu.com

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