Scottish Water Horizons food digester arrives
24 December 2009
Scottish Water Horizons is encouraging the food industry to make a fresh start in 2010 by recycling food waste, helping to cut costs and divert food from landfill
Currently the Deerdykes Organics Recycling Facility in Cumbernauld composts food and garden waste. However, from Spring next year, a £7million anaerobic digestion unit will turn 30,000 tonnes of solid and liquid food waste into around 8,000 megawatts of power each year - enough electricity to power up to 2,000 homes.
Scottish Water Horizons are keen to establish supply streams with the food sector – the processing, manufacture and retail industries all generate solid and liquid waste that could be turned to electricity at the site.
With landfill tax set to escalate by £8 per tonne each year until at least 2013, Scottish Water Horizons can provide a cost effective, environmentally friendly solution for food waste and are keen to hear from businesses that have waste streams.
Scottish Water Horizons, the commercial arm of Scottish Water, has recently welcomed delivery of the cutting-edge digestion tank that will turn food waste into energy. This massive 16 metre-high, 20.5 metre diameter tank is in the process of being erected on the site and will hold food waste for 15-20 days, capturing the biogas as it breaks down.
The next stages are to complete installation of the mechanical and electrical features such as instrumentation and control works. Once these are completed the facility can be commissioned and enter active service.
The anaerobic digestion unit is being constructed by Henry Boot Scotland and Monsal. The digester tank is being supplied and erected by UK-based Kirk Environmental. Chris Banks, Commercial Director, Scottish Water, said: “The unit harnesses biogas produced by the break down of organic materials. The biogas will then be used in a combined heat and power engine to produce electricity and heat.
“This electricity will be used at Deerdykes and any surplus will either be used to power the neighbouring industrial estate or delivered back to Scottish Water, via the national grid, as part of the Company's vision to become a low carbon water company. A scheme to export the heat to local homes and businesses is also being investigated.”
The process also produces nutrient rich digestate which can be used as a liquid fertiliser to improve the nutritional content of Scotland’s soil resources.
WRAP, which is part funding developments at the Deerdykes site, recently found that Scottish households throw away a billion pounds worth of food every year – amounting to a staggering 570,000 tonnes of discarded food and drink.
Iain Gulland, WRAP Director for Scotland, who visited the site this month said: “Having invested £1.7m in the Deerdykes Anaerobic Digestion project, it is great to see that it is on track. This is clearly going to be an impressive, high-quality facility which will play a key role in diverting food waste from landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
As well as waste from the food industry, household food waste collections trials from customers in South West Scotland have already been conducted and composted into pod soil improver.
Donald MacBrayne, Business Development Manager for Scottish Water Horizons, is hailing the food waste trials a massive success: “We’ve had a fantastic start to these and local residents have been incredibly supportive, showing a real ‘green’ streak.”
The anaerobic digestion process will run alongside the existing pod composting facility at Deerdykes which has turned more than 100,000 tonnes of grass cuttings, tree trimmings and shrub prunings into 50,000 tonnes of environmentally friendly compost since 2006.
Anaerobic digestion is seen by the government as the preferred technology for recycling because it already produces renewable energy. It is not a new treatment process, it has been used in Europe for over 20 years. The technology also has wide support in environmental circles. Duncan McLaren, Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, is among the supporters:
"This is an example of a big company taking sound initiative to help address the twin problems of climate change and excessive organic waste being sent to landfill."
The project is encouraging all Scottish householders, food manufacturers and food processors to play their part and help put Scotland at the forefront of environmental stewardship.
Contact Details and Archive...
Related Articles...
Most Viewed Articles...