Farm and Food Waste Anaerobic Digester in Shropshire

14 October 2011

Following a 10 month construction period, a new Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility running on cow slurry and food waste is operational at a university in Edgmond, Shropshire.

Working with two partners, utility company E.ON and local contractor Adonis Construction, AD specialists BiogenGreenfinch says that it designed, built and commissioned the 25,500 tonne per year facility for Harper Adams University College in the spring of 2011.

Following electrical connection tests in May the AD plant, operated by Harper Adams Energy, now recycles locally sourced food waste from retailers, manufacturers, and caterers along with dairy slurry from the University College's 400 cow dairy unit to produce energy for the campus and the national grid.

According to BiogenGreenfinch, the plant also produces around 23,000 tonnes of a nutrient-rich fertiliser which will be used on the farm, grounds and surrounding Harper Adams farmland as a substitute for fossil fuel fertilisers.

The company estimates that the AD facility will offset campus carbon emissions more than three times over.

The new facility has also been shortlisted for two categories in the Renewable Energy Infrastructure Awards - 'Best Use of Biogas' and 'Renewable Electrical Facility Award'.

Richard Barker, CEO of BiogenGreenfinch explains some of the benefits the facility will bring: "This state of the art plant will deliver three great outcomes: a platform to educate both students and the wider community about the benefits of anaerobic digestion, an additional commercial revenue stream for the University."

"Finally it will generate significant amount of renewable energy from low value cow slurry and from food waste that would most likely go to landfill," he adds.


Read More

Farm Waste CHP Anaerobic Digester Commissioned
A combined heat and power AD facility that will process agricultural waste has been commissioned by Hereford, UK based Ynergy Ltd.

Food Waste Anaerobic Digester for Somerset
Waste management company, Viridor is to build its first Anaerobic Digestion facility in the South West of England at its Walpole recycling and landfill site, near Bridgwater in Somerset.

What's Stopping AD Supplying 1% of UK's Power?
Feedstock security, public perception and finance are the three interlinked foundations that will be key to Anaerobic Digestion (AD) achieving its potential in the UK market.