A fund backed by the UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) is providing £3.2 million for two plants that will generate power from farm waste in Northern Ireland.

The cash from the Waste Resources & Energy Investments Fund, managed by Foresight Group, will support the construction of the on-farm anaerobic digestion plants in Cookstown, County Tyrone and Banbridge, County Down.

They will produce enough energy to power as many as 1,700 homes and cut emissions equivalent to taking 2,000 cars off the roads every year.

Resources Management Minister Dan Rogerson believes anaerobic digestion is the “unsung hero of the renewables industry”.

He added: “Given the technology’s flexibility it’s also a great way for farmers to secure additional income from manures and slurries alongside food waste.”