Cranfield University opens AD research plant

A new anaerobic digestion (AD) research plant has been officially opened at Cranfield University in the UK.

The plant, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and supported by Shanks Waste Management, will divert up to 10 tonnes a year of food waste from landfill. It will also save up to 5 tonnes of CO2 and produce up to 8 tonnes of biofertiliser.

At the opening ceremony, ADBA's CEO Charlotte Morton said: 'With degressing incentives increasingly impacting on the economic viability of AD, the industry has never been under more pressure to improve operational performance, manage environmental risk and to find ways of maximising the energy and fertiliser outputs of the process.

'Through the collation of data on a larger scale than existing labs, Cranfields new research plant should be able to play a major role in developing and testing the next generation of AD technology by providing access to the "plug and play" demonstration facility, enabling companies to robustly and objectively de-risk, test and develop their technology.'