René Becker is abandoning plans for a mono-digester at his company in Boven Pekela. There has been too much unrest, he sees. “We are looking for another place.”
René Becker from the contracting and transport company of the same name and would like a mono-digester to turn manure into green gas. That is to make his own company more sustainable. The rest can be used by the village. He aims to supply Boven Pekela with gas, so I think there is still enough to supply gas to a part of Nieuwe Pekela.”
“The common thread is that the collective is at the top.” He thinks it’s a nice thought if Pekelders can tell their visitors that they get gas from around the corner. “Thanks to manure from nearby livestock farms.”
Stir
The original plans met with unrest and a lot of resistance from the village in October. Becker’s company is close to buildings. Local residents expected odor and traffic nuisance, it became apparent during a council meeting. Becker: “That was a reason for me to withdraw the plan.”
But Becker is still aiming for a digester. “In Pekela, but at a greater distance.” He says he had a good discussion about this with Mayor Jaap Kuin. “He came to our house. I have a new plan, but the province of Groningen must be willing to cooperate with it.” He won’t say where exactly.
If he receives cooperation from the province, he first wants to explain to the neighborhood what exactly the plan entails, says Becker. “So exactly the opposite of how it went last year. Only then will I apply for a permit.”