BIO-ENERGY
TURNING ORGANIC MATERIAL INTO RENEWABLE ENERGY
Following the COP26 conference last November, there is now a real urgency around solutions that can link waste processing with
clean domestic energy generation. Here, Anaergia explains how its OREX extrusion press technology is set to transform how organic material is treated at municipal solid waste (MSW) processing
sites, supporting renewable energy generation and helping the UK achieve its ambition of reaching net zero by 2050
B
ased in Flintshire, Wales, the EQTEC Deeside RDF (refuse-derived fuel) project received
planning permission in October 2021. The facility will combine a 182,00-tonnes per annum waste processing plant with a 9.9MWe advanced gasifier and a 2MWe anaerobic digestion (AD) plant. Anaergia is currently developing the engineering design for the waste processing and AD plants with the intention of providing full technology turnkey solutions for both, as well as supplying the OREX extrusion press. Traditionally, organics such as food
waste in municipal solid waste (MSW) sites end up in the under-size or ‘fines’ fraction that is separated and rejected during RDF production. While a proportion of fines material can be added back into the final RDF, this is only possible in small quantities as fines are high in moisture and heavily contaminated, meaning the plant may fail to meet RDF quality specifications. Fines can be dried to address their
high moisture content, but this is energy-intensive and expensive; and even after drying, fines can still be heavily contaminated and unlikely to meet RDF standards. For these reasons, most fines from MSW processing in the UK are sent to landfill. Anaergia’s OREX technology, however, offers
processors a sustainable and economical alternative, enabling them to generate revenue from the organic fraction within their MSW. A
OREX recovers up to 90% of putrescible organics from municipal solid waste
REDUCING EMISSIONS Anaergia has vast experience within the waste processing sector, including a portfolio of 13 AD facilities in the UK and over 1,800 reference sites worldwide. The company is not alone in recognising the impact that anaerobic digestion can make on the UK’s carbon emissions. According to trade body ADBA,
Processing the recovered organic fraction in an AD plant supports renewable energy generation and diverts organics from landfill
www.energymanagementmag.co.uk
if AD was used to process the country’s unavoidable waste currently left to emit methane into the atmosphere, it could deliver a 6% reduction in UK GHG emissions by 2030 – 30% of the carbon savings required to meet our 2030 target. By recovering the organic waste fraction within MSW and processing it through AD rather than gasification, the OREX therefore has a major part to play in helping the country to meet this goal.
robust extrusion press, it reliably and efficiently separates solid wastes into wet organic and dry fractions, recovering up to 90% of putrescible waste. In MSW treatment, the OREX processes the fines fraction to extract the wet organics, significantly reducing the quantity of rejects that are sent to landfill. The separated organics can instead be fed to an AD plant, as in the case of the Deeside project, where they are used produce biomethane; a sustainable RNG fuel.
Artist’s impression of the Deeside RDF facility
“As the Deeside RDF Project demonstrates, the
OREX can transform the future of MSW treatment in the UK,” commented Sam Smith, UK projects director for Anaergia. “Enabling recovery of the organics within MSW, it unlocks their potential as a valuable resource to MSW processing businesses, rather than the cost burden they are right now. Being able to turn these MSW-derived organics into renewable natural gas is something that will appeal to waste businesses and those with interests in the long-term sustainability of the UK energy market.”
INCREASING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF MSW Anaergia’s OREX technology, combined with its AD expertise, is perfectly placed to offer a genuinely green alternative to the country’s MSW treatment providers. Forming a major part of the new Deeside RDF facility, the OREX system extracts up to 90% of organics from MSW, enabling this valuable resource to be diverted to an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant and turned into renewable natural gas (RNG).
David Palumbo, CEO of EQTEC, said: “We are
delighted by the resolution to grant planning consent for the RDF Project at Deeside. This decision paves the way for us to formalise our agreement with Anaergia, with appetite and synergies between the two parties to replicate this type of project configuration on other plants in the UK and potentially worldwide.” Martin Hopkins, managing director of Anaergia
UK, adds: “This project offers a great model for the UK waste industry and aligns closely with our missions to convert waste into useful resources, protect the environment and sustain life for generations to come. We look forward to the opportunity to combine Anaergia’s organics industry-leading recovery and processing technologies with EQTEC’s advanced gasification expertise at the Deeside facility.”
Anaergia T: 01480 477608
www.anaergia.com
ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Spring 2022 17
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