Knowledge Base

Construction of a biogas plant, counted from Notice to Proceed (NTP), the contractual start of project execution, to start-up and commissioning, generally takes between one and two years, depending on the size and complexity of the plant. A plant with two to three digesters typically takes twelve to fourteen months, while a larger facility such as Lorca Bioenergy in Spain, with nine tanks, takes around two years. HoSt’s biogas plant in Charlton Park, Malmesbury, for example, started construction in March 2021 and reached start-up and commissioning in March 2022, a twelve-month construction period. Commissioning time itself can affect the overall schedule, since start-up requires the client to source active digestate to fill the tanks, and factors such as site location, required volume, and logistics can extend this further; before mechanical completion, HoSt’s process engineers work with the client to plan a realistic start-up schedule based on the availability of these factors. These timelines cover construction through commissioning only: for client projects, the FEED phase and contract negotiations that precede NTP add further time, while HoSt-owned and operated projects also include an earlier feasibility study and permitting phase.