A Pennsylvania food-recycling company that won approvals six years ago to build an anaerobic digester facility in Southington says it is no longer involved in the project.
A Pennsylvania food-recycling company that won approvals six years ago to build an anaerobic digester facility in Southington says it is no longer involved in the project.
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Turning Earth could not raise the financing it needed for the $25-million development, which suffered from the Connecticut legislature’s energy funding raid in 2018, forcing the Connecticut Green Bank to pull back $4 million in financing for the project.
A rendering of a now defunct digester facility planned in Southington. RENDERING CONTRIBUTED
“Unfortunately the project will not be going forward, which is a shame for the Southington community, Connecticut and the environment,” Turning Earth Executive Vice President Amy McCrae Kessler said in a recent email.
Despite that, the owner of the 111 Spring St. parcel the facility was to be sited on recently applied to renew the project permit, which expired about a year ago.
The special permit for Senco LLC, which has owned the property since 2008, is slated for a May 19 public hearing. Senco is controlled by Farmington-based Calco Construction founder John Senese, who did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
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It’s unclear whether Senco is working with another organics recycler. Quantum Biopower, whose digester is located less than two miles down the road, said it is not involved in the project.
No major work has taken place on the site, according to Robert A. Phillips, the town’s director of planning and community development.
Phillips said the latest application is simply a re-approval of the previous plan. He said he doesn’t know if Senco plans to build the facility soon, or if the permit renewal is meant to market the property to another operator or buyer.
