IN ASSOCIATION WITH
AD 2010: POWERING THE WAY FORWARD
AD: A technology
as old as the hills
Three thousand years ago enterprising Assyrians boiled bath water using biogas. A hundred years ago in
Britain street lamps glowed using methane extracted from sewage. Today AD provides environmentally
friendly power in a form more easily accepted by the public than say, incineration or wind farms.
A
NAEROBIC DIGESTION
is now the government’s
preferred option for
‘
We would like to see all
dealing with food waste.
It is supported and promoted by WRAP local authorities collecting
(Waste Resources Action Programme) and
environmental groups such as Friends of
the Earth as the best technology for dealing
food waste as soon as possible
with food waste both environmentally
’
and economically. Many retailers, food environment secretary: “Our latest research heated to kill off harmful bacteria and then
manufacturing companies and farmers also is very encouraging as it shows that separate pumped into temperature controlled sealed
see anaerobic digestion as the solution to food waste collections are definitely working vessels known as digesters.
their waste problems and a demonstration in the areas that are using them, and – more It is here where the bacteria feed on
of corporate social responsibility. It is ranked importantly – people are happy with them. the food waste and produce biogas that
first in local authorities’ technology appraisal We would like to see all local authorities is used as a fuel in a combined heat and
and has the best environmental profile of collecting food waste as soon as possible power unit. During the process no methane
all the food waste treatment processes and by 2020 at the latest.” is released to the atmosphere. The bio-
available today. Commercial food waste digesters, such fertiliser produced is then stored in large
Councils who have opted for source as BiogenGreenfinch’s integrated anaerobic covered tanks, and is applied twice a year
separation of food waste either for digesters, process domestic food waste on farmland, replacing fossil fuel derived
composting or anaerobic digestion collected by local authorities, food fertiliser. This means nothing is wasted.
have been pleased with the positive waste from commercial outlets and Each tonne of food waste recycled by
response from the public. Moreover the food processing industry and means of anaerobic digestion instead of
it has made people more aware of farm materials. By comparison, being sent to landfill prevents nearly 907 kg
the amount of food being wasted farm-based anaerobic digesters of CO
²
equivalent entering the atmosphere.
leading to improvements in their process a variety of agricultural An AD plant processing 45,000 tonnes of
shopping and cooking habits. Reduction feedstocks including manure, food waste per year can produce 35,000
Research by DEFRA, led by animal slurries, energy crops tonnes of a superior bio-fertiliser that is
Brook Lyndhurst and the and vegetable waste. spread onto 1,750 acres of growing crop.
Resource Recovery Forum
Re-use
and Waste Watch, shows The clever bit Energy production
that 78% of the general Anaerobic digestion is Over 90% of the green electricity produced
public supports the
Recycling &
a complex biological from anaerobic digestion is exported to the
idea of having process. Food waste National Grid. BiogenGreenfinch’s Westwood
separate food Composting enters a sealed AD plant in Northamptonshire produces
waste collections. building where 1.7MW of clean electricity continuously
According to it is processed – enough to power nearly 3,000 homes.
Hilary Benn,
Energy Recovery
into a porridge, A third of the heat produced is used
back in the process. The excess heat
produced could also be used to benefit local
communities by heating municipal buildings
Disposal
and leisure facilities. There are a number
of government incentives that promote the
uptake of renewable energy for example,
Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs),
The Waste Hierarchy
Renewable Heat and Electricity tariffs.
10 March 11 2010 www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk
Recycling
& WASTE WORLD
110-11 AD PROCESS.indd 100-11 AD PROCESS.indd 10 88/3/10 17:55:28/3/10 17:55:28
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