Installation
What Happens in an AD Site Survey?
A proper site survey looks past the farm plan — slopes, buried services, existing concrete and livestock movements all shape a workable AD layout.
5 min readRead Guide
Installation
How Do You Prepare a Farm for an Anaerobic Digestion Plant?
Good preparation is what makes fast equipment installation possible. Here's the sequence a farm typically moves through before the plant arrives.
6 min read · Reviewed September 2026
Quick Answer
Preparing a farm for anaerobic digestion involves establishing the plant location and scope, then completing the enabling works needed before the principal AD equipment arrives. This can include access, excavation, ground preparation, concrete, tanks, slurry transfer, trenches, pipework and electrical infrastructure.
Key Points
- Excavation shouldn't begin while the project scope is still moving
- Responsibilities need agreeing clearly between farmer, contractor and specialists
- Buried infrastructure is best installed while the ground is already open
- A pre-delivery readiness check can prevent an expensive delayed arrival
Step 1 — Establish what's being installed, and agree responsibilities
Don't begin excavation while the project scope is still moving — confirm the principal equipment, layout, tank requirements, pump requirements, pipe routes and electrical requirements first. Alongside that, establish clearly who's doing what: the farmer might handle certain excavation, CBB handle installation and coordination, a specialist contractor handle electrical work, and the manufacturer handle the principal AD equipment and defined commissioning activities. The actual split varies by project.
Step 2 — Prepare access and complete groundworks
Construction may require excavators, dumpers, concrete wagons, cranes and articulated deliveries, so make sure they can actually reach the site before work begins. Groundworks can then proceed — stripping, excavation, stone, compaction, levels and drainage.
Step 3 — Construct foundations, prepare tanks and services
Concrete work needs to match the approved equipment requirements — don't reuse generic foundation dimensions from another project. Tank construction, slurry infrastructure and underground services may need to progress before the principal plant arrives, and where practical, slurry pipes, digestate pipes, cable ducts and drainage should be installed while the ground is already open.
Step 4 — Check readiness before delivery
A good readiness check before the plant arrives can prevent an expensive delivery team turning up at an unprepared site — is the concrete ready, are levels correct, are access routes clear, are tanks ready, are pipe penetrations correct, are required components on site, and are electrical preparations complete?
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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PLANNING AN AD INSTALLATION?
Need help with the practical side of an AD project?
Charlie Bell Building supports farm-scale anaerobic digestion installations from site preparation and groundworks through to equipment installation and commissioning support.