Acorn Bioenergy has officially launched Winchester’s first anaerobic digestion (AD) facility, marking a major step in the city’s transition to renewable energy. By processing 83,600 tonnes of farm residues, manures and rotational crops each year, the facility will cut around 30,000 tonnes of CO₂ – equivalent to planting 1.2 million trees or removing 15,000 cars from the road. It will also generate nutrient-rich digestate to improve soil health and reduce reliance on imported fertilisers, alongside high-purity green CO₂ for industrial uses. Minister for Industry, Sarah Jones, said: “Acorn’s development will deliver secure, clean energy for thousands of homes and provide jobs for the local community in Hampshire. Acorn Bioenergy is developing a dozen more sites, with the goal of supplying 25% of the nation’s biomethane by 2035.