UK’s first anaerobic digestion plant is installed at Adnams brewery

19 July 2010

Adnams Bio Energy has completed the construction phase of the UK’s first anaerobic digestion plant, a £2.75m venture based on the distribution site of Adnams’ brewing and retail company near Southwold in Suffolk, UK.

The venture is being undertaken by a partnership with British Gas and the National Grid with funding from Royal Bank of Scotland and grants from the European Regional Development Fund, the East of England Development Agency and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

The anaerobic digestion unit uses by-products from the company’s brewing process, along with local food waste to create a renewable source of gas for injection into the national gas grid.

The installation will also provide gas that can be used as a vehicle fuel for Adnams’ fleet of delivery lorries, the company said.

Adnams Bio Energy, a subsidiary of the Cambridge-based Bio Group, is aiming to commence supply of gas to the national grid following the completion of commissioning work due to take place in the next few months.

When operational, the unit is set to produce up to 4.8 million kWh of energy each year and 60 per cent of the gas produced will be supplied to the National Grid, with the remaining volumes used by the company’s own lorries.

The plant’s technology is comprised of three digesters, sealed vessels inside which naturally-occurring bacteria act without oxygen to break down up to 12,500 tonnes of organic waste each year and produce biomethane.

An agreement with Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, has also seen Adnams Bio Energy install solar thermal panels at the site, with photovoltaic cells due to be erected to create a mini energy park.

The unit will use waste from the Adnams brewery and local food to generate biomethane, which when upgraded to grid specification can be injected into the gas network.

Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams, said, ‘For a number of years now, Adnams has been investing in ways to reduce our impact on the environment.’

Copyright © 2010 NewNet

Tags: biomass

This story was published on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 5:45 pm and is filed under Europe, biomass/biofuel, companies. You can follow any responses to article entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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