UK’s first brewery waste-to-biogas plant completed
Gas and electricity provider British Gas and Adnams Bio Energy have completed the construction phase of their groundbreaking anaerobic digestion (AD) plant.
Using waste from the brewery and left over food the venture will produce biogas that, in conjunction with the National Grid, will be injected into the grid sometime this year.
The AD plant will be the first in the UK to produce biogas from brewery and food waste and will generate around 4.8 million kW/hr every year. This is enough to power a family car for 4 million miles or heat 235 households for a whole year. It is hoped that the plant will eventually run itself and fuel a fleet of lorries, as well as sending 60% of its total output to the grid.
The Adnams Bio Energy plant processes 12,500 tonnes of organic waste annually with the use of three digesters. This forms a liquid organic fertiliser as well as the biomethane.
The project has received finding from RBS in Cambridge as well as grants from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
‘This facility has been designed using our groundbreaking technology as the first stage of a national roll out of AD plants,’ said group chief executive Steve Sharratt. ‘We use innovative, low carbon building techniques to produce energy through a completely organic and natural process.’
Andy Wood, chief executive of Adnams commented: ‘The reality of being able to convert our own brewing waste and local food waste to power our brewery and vehicles, as well as the wider community, is very exciting.’
Using waste from the brewery and left over food the venture will produce biogas that, in conjunction with the National Grid, will be injected into the grid sometime this year.
The AD plant will be the first in the UK to produce biogas from brewery and food waste and will generate around 4.8 million kW/hr every year. This is enough to power a family car for 4 million miles or heat 235 households for a whole year. It is hoped that the plant will eventually run itself and fuel a fleet of lorries, as well as sending 60% of its total output to the grid.
The Adnams Bio Energy plant processes 12,500 tonnes of organic waste annually with the use of three digesters. This forms a liquid organic fertiliser as well as the biomethane.
The project has received finding from RBS in Cambridge as well as grants from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
‘This facility has been designed using our groundbreaking technology as the first stage of a national roll out of AD plants,’ said group chief executive Steve Sharratt. ‘We use innovative, low carbon building techniques to produce energy through a completely organic and natural process.’
Andy Wood, chief executive of Adnams commented: ‘The reality of being able to convert our own brewing waste and local food waste to power our brewery and vehicles, as well as the wider community, is very exciting.’
