Bio Capital, a UK renewable energy producer from food waste, has announced it will produce carbon dioxide (CO₂) from its Granville Eco Park anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in Dungannon, Northern Ireland.
The company is among the first in the UK to generate ‘food grade’ CO₂ from the anaerobic digestion of food waste, it said.
In addition to Granville Eco Park, Bio Capital will produce food grade CO₂ at its Corbiere Renewables facility in Norfolk.
Combined, the two sites will bring 15,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year to the market, helping to address the current supply crisis triggered by the collapse of the UK bioethanol market. With one bioethanol plant closed and another facing imminent closure, the UK has lost up to 80% of its domestic CO₂ supply.
Anaerobic digestion naturally produces a biogas mixture of roughly 50–70% methane and 30–50% CO₂. While the methane is already repurposed to generate renewable electricity, supply green gas to the grid, and fuel vehicles, Bio Capital’s state-of-the-art CO₂ recovery systems capture and refine the carbon component.
Through further on-site purification, the CO₂ achieves ‘food grade’ certification, meeting the highest standards set by agencies including the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) with a purity level of 99.9%.
The recovered CO₂ will be supplied to the food and beverage sector and will also serve applications in horticulture, refrigeration, and industrial manufacturing.
David McKee, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Bio Capital, said: "Bio Capital is a pioneer in the AD sector, and we are proud to realise a new milestone in the supply of renewable CO₂. This is the circular economy in action. Our investment in Northern Ireland and England comes at a critical time, enabling Bio Capital to offer a sustainable and reliable supply of food grade CO₂ when the UK market is facing a major shortfall."
Bio Capital to produce ‘food grade’ CO₂ from food waste amid supply shortfall
