ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY WASTED ENERGY?


Kevin Mooney from CD Enviro, discusses why the FM sector shouldn’t write off Energy from Waste (EfW) in the UK, with a healthier future predicted for anaerobic plant development, and the technology to keep them running smoothly for longer.


EfW – Europe’s rising recycling star? Generating energy from waste (EfW) is not so much the distant cousin any more when it comes to re-use of organic waste. At CDEnviro, we passionately believe waste that cannot be recycled or composted, should not be sent to landfill. With rising landfill taxes, it is verging on a false economy, burying material that can be repurposed effectively.


Ideally, successful waste management should only use residual waste for EfW -whether it’s for Anaerobic Digestion (AD), incineration or the pyrolosis/gasification process. There have been tireless calls for government subsidies to support the UK’s different EfW initiatives, instead of having to export waste to European plants for processing.


Clear your plate for the


clean energy option Recycling commercial food and organic waste using AD - one type of EfW technology - is a smart and clean option for energy creation. However, behavioural changes in how food waste is collected and segregated on site will play a major role in successful resource capture for AD plants and the creation of cleaner energy. FMs have an important part to play in encouraging these behaviours within their FM strategies.


Heat production can be decarbonised by using AD, whose by-product is biomethane [green] gas; AD removes the combustible/incinerator stage of the supply chain. By producing biomethane in the UK from organic waste, reliance on imported fossil fuels is curbed. Biomethane creates heat and electricity, fuels vehicles and can be added to the gas grid. It provides cleaner, cost effective energy for commercial and residential users.


Keeping AD efficient Consistent contribution to EfW using AD, requires efficient function of the anaerobic digester. Over time, the digester’s capacity reduces as the AD tank fills up with organic material and grit, like eggshell and bone, reducing its efficiency and energy output. The encroachment also means that less organic material can be fed in, further decreasing production. Furthermore, grit accumulation causes a higher


26 | TOMORROW’S FM


instance of wear and tear, reducing the lifespan of the machinery and potentially adding to the waste problem.


Because of reduced capacity, AD tanks need to be shut down every five to ten years to be excavated with heavy machinery to remove grit, subsequently halting EfW operations. There is now a solution that removes grit before it reaches the digester, minimising and even eliminating, the need to shut down AD tanks. This system reduces operating costs, increases the amount of material that can be processed, and increases biomethane yield.


Now AD systems can handle the waste burden and turn it into opportunity.


There’s life in EfW yet with


help from AD Charlotte Morton, CEO of ADBA, said that, ‘the tide is turning’ for AD with the promised investment of £300m to build another 50+ biomethane plants in the UK. A positive change is afoot, and we must be prepared to assist its progress.


“Behavioural


changes in how food waste is collected and


segregated on site will play


a major role in the creation of cleaner energy.”


Whatever the disagreements in the EfW debate, it has a growing place alongside other sustainable sources, plays a part in the circular economy and can help in the battle to reduce landfill. Our philosophy is that zero waste is achievable, and facilities managers have an important part to play in, and responsibility for, achieving it. There isn’t one magic solution to our waste and recycling issues, because they span across consumption behaviour, manufacturing trends, materials used, and waste management, among other aspects. Everyone must do their part.


www.cdenviro.com twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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