Jockey club looks to power biomass plant with horse poo

Plans to build an on-site biomass plant powered by stable waste at a jockey club have been unveiled in what would be the first facility of its kind in the UK.


GG Eco Solutions have submitted a planning application to install the facility at Jockey Club Estates land at Southfield Farm in Newmarket. The plant will convert stable waste into biomass fuel, to heat nearby schools and businesses, and fertiliser, for use on nearby gallops, studs and farmland.

For a number of years Jockey Club Estates has been trying to find a more sustainable solution to the problem of stable waste emanating from Newmarket’s 80 training yards which totals 25,000 tonnes per year.

Jockey Club Estates managing director, William Gittus, said: “The existing disposal system is undoubtedly efficient, but it is costly and produces significant lorry movements throughout the town.

“By working with GG Eco Solutions I hope that a viable, more environmentally friendly solution has been found to the problem. So far the scheme has attracted a lot of interest from the town’s trainers and equine businesses.”

The planning application is for a facility which can process 5,000 tonnes of waste a year. If all goes according to plan, the plant should be in operation before next autumn. Once the project is operational, GG Eco Solutions and Jockey Club Estates hope the business will grow, both in Newmarket and elsewhere in the country.

Gittus added: “The training industry is very tough at the moment and over time we hope this project will reduce waste disposal costs, enabling training businesses to remain viable.”

Maxine Perella

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