ENERGY
running. “At the time we did it, a lot of people GLGQmW XQGHUVWDQG $' DQG LW KDV WDNHQ R˧ ĂžQDOO\ LQ WKH ODVW WKUHH RU IRXU \HDUV ,W LV UHDOO\ LPSRUWDQW to get help and get a consultant which we didn’t GR DQG ZH VWUXJJOHG ĂžQGLQJ RXU ZD\ WKURXJK WKH legislation from environmental things in terms of permitting and from the Ofgem side of things,â€? KH VD\V 7KH $' SODQW ZKLFK ZDV EXLOW E\ 8. OLTXLG ELR ZDVWH FRPSDQ\ &OHDUĂ&#x;HDX SURFHVVHV ZDVWH IURP WKH GDLU\ PDQXIDFWXULQJ SURFHVV DQG ZDVK ZDWHUV ZKLFK ZDV SUHYLRXVO\ WUHDWHG E\ WKH VHZDJH ZRUNV 7KH HOHFWULFLW\ SURGXFHG IURP WKH SODQW LV XVHG E\ %9 'DLU\ DQG PHHWV RI LWV operational needs. At present, the heat is lost to atmosphere. “The heat we are working on at the moment is dispersed to atmosphere but we are looking at it to warm up the tanks to make the soft cheese which will in turn be used to make the permeate which goes to the plant. This means we will have a FORVHG ORRS SURFHVV :H DUH ORRNLQJ WR GR WKDW ODWHU WKLV \HDU o 2Q WKH ĂžQDQFLDO VLGH WKH SODQW LV EUHDNLQJ HYHQ DW SUHVHQW KRZHYHU LI %9 'DLU\ FDQ XWLOLVH WKH KHDW 0U 0F,QQHV LV FRQĂžGHQW LW ZLOO EH D nVROLG SURĂžW PDNHUo n, WKLQN RWKHU manufacturers should be taking advantage of this and using WKLV WHFKQRORJ\ o KH DGGV %9 'DLU\ LV QRW WKH RQO\ RQH 6WDSOHV 9HJHWDEOHV RQH RI WKH ODUJHVW VXSSOLHUV RI EUDVVLFDV q FDEEDJH FDXOLĂ&#x;RZHU EURFFROL %UXVVHOV VSURXWV q IHHGV LWV $' SODQW RQ LWV Lincolnshire site with out-of-spec vegetables, dual crops VXFK DV VZHHWFRUQ DQG HQHUJ\ FURSV 7KH ĂžUP XVHV WKH
HQHUJ\ IURP WKH IDFLOLW\ WR SRZHU LWV SDFNKRXVH DQG WR VHOO to other consumers through the grid. It also uses the heat on-site. 6WDSOHV 9HJHWDEOHV VD\V WKH ZKROH SURMHFW XVHV D FORVHG ORRS V\VWHP ZKLFK LV EDVHG RQ D VXVWDLQDEOH F\FOH WKH SURGXFW WKDW VWDUWV RQ WKH IDUP ÞQLVKHV RQ WKH IDUP 7KH waste generated on the farm is used to power operations within the business while the digestate is spread to the land as a soil improver. 2YHUDOO $' IDFLOLWLHV R˧HU WKH 8. WKH SRWHQWLDO WR ERRVW GRPHVWLF UHQHZDEOH HQHUJ\ SURGXFWLRQ ZKLFK VRRQ ZLOO EH PRUH FRVW H˨FLHQW DV JULG SDULW\ VWHSV HYHU FORVHU As more feedstock becomes available and the number of SODQWV LQFUHDVH WKLV SRWHQWLDO ORRNV OLNHO\ WR EH PD[LPLVHG :KLOH $' PD\ QHYHU EH DEOH WR PHHW WKH 8.mV HQHUJ\ QHHGV DORQH LW GRHV KDYH DQ LPSRUWDQW UROH WR SOD\ ZLWK WKH DGGHG ERQXV RI DOVR R˧HULQJ D VXVWDLQDEOH URXWH IRU WKH GLVSRVDO of food waste.
HOW DOES ANAEROBIC DIGESTION WORK? Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the breakdown of organic matter in the absence PG PYZHFO *O B TUPNBDI MJLF UBOL UIF NBUFSJBM JT FĘŽFDUJWFMZ EJHFTUFE BOE is broken down into biogas (a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane) and a nutrient-rich digestate. The biogas can be burned to produce heat and electricity and the digestate, which comes in liquid and solid form, is most commonly used as a fertiliser. AD can be used to treat sewage, farm and food wastes.
A food waste alternative that’s easy to stomach. See what we could save you at www.refood.co.uk or call 0800 011 3214.
34 RETAIL ENVIRONMENT | MAY 2013
“Demand for food waste recycling solutions is growing amongst businesses at every stage of the food chain. The use of AD plants such as ReFood provides food producers and retailers with D FRVW H˧HFWLYH sustainable alternative to the use of environmentally harmful options VXFK DV ODQGĂžOO RU LQFLQHUDWLRQ Æ VD\V 3KLOLS 6LPSVRQ commercial GLUHFWRU 5H)RRG