Prince Charles makes return visit to Dorset energy plant

  • Watch Victoria Davies' report here.


Prince Charles has returned to a farm in Dorchester that helps to provide sustainable energy for nearby towns.

The Prince of Wales visited Rainbarrow Farm near Poundbury in Dorset, a project that he has supported for a number of years, to witness the latest development in sustainable energy for the region.

The site makes energy called bio-methane which is sold back to the national grid and makes enough to supply nearby towns.

When it officially started in 2012, it was the first in the UK to do so.

Prince Charles was a keen supporter when the site officially opened in 2012.

He returned to officially open the next exciting development that will help improve the site's sustainability even further.

CO2 used to be a waste product in the bio-methane process, but now the plant captures it and sells it to local businesses in the horticultural industry to help produce food and drink.

Nick Finding Director of JV Energen & BioCarbonics said the project would not have happened were it not for the support of Prince Charles.

"He is madly keen on the project and the whole thing wouldn't have happened without him," he said.

"He told us when we started that he had been thinking about it for 18 years so he is aware of the issues and ahead of the game.

"It has his stamp all over it and he actually opened the site back in 2012 so it is good to welcome him back."



It is believed that this site could be a pioneer for how CO2 is used in the future, with its official launch marking a new era for the sustainability of the region.

It will see green CO2 recovered from a network of renewable energy sources to produce a more sustainably sourced product with an improved continuity of supply to be used by local independent businesses. 

It comes just one day after Prince Charles welcomed the news of his granddaughter's arrival.

Harry and his wife Meghan announced the news that they had welcomed a baby girl on Sunday 6 June.

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor – named after the Queen and the baby's late grandmother Princess Diana- was born in California on Friday and the announcement was made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Sunday.


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