Malaby Biogas, a specialist biogas plants, has confirmed it is on target to begin commissioning Wiltshire's first commercial anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in the second quarter of 2012.
Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire,
The Bore Hill Farm Biodigester at Warminster will process commercial food waste and catering waste as well as animal slurries, abattoir waste and spoiled non woody crops.
By the third quarter of 2012, the Bore Hill Farm Biodigester will divert up to 20,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill every year. The plant will also generate around 500kW of green electricity to feed into the national grid as well as supply renewable energy to nine business units scheduled for development on the site in 2013.
The £5 million biogas plant project will additionally produce 15,000 tonnes of nutrient-rich digestate which can be used as fertiliser for agricultural use. Malaby Biogas is in talks with several potential customers including farming contractors to supply them with the bio-fertiliser as an alternative to their existing petrochemical based artifical fertilisers.
“There is growing pressure on businesses in the food sector to dispose of their waste in a far more responsible and efficient manner than simply sending it to landfill. For such companies, the Bore Hill Farm Biodigester offers an option which is both environmentally and financially attractive,” commented Thomas Minter, a director at Malaby Biogas.
Diverting organic waste disposal to the AD facility incurs no landfill tax, which is due to increase to £64 per tonne in 2012. Malaby Biogas will charge a competitively priced gate fee to take waste and will work with waste companies to offer a secure and sustainable destination.
“With our AD facility there are less waste transport miles. Having waste sorted at source reduces processing and transportation which reduces the carbon footprint of disposal. Reduction in all parts of the waste processing allows the overall cost of waste disposal for the producer to be drastically reduced,” added Toby Minter, who runs Malaby Biogas with his brother Thomas.
Besides all the environmental benefits delivered by the Bore Hill Farm Biodigester, the facility has also boosted employment in the local area and this is set to continue after the plant opening due to the development of business units on site. “By utilising local labour and British skills in engineering and design together with a broad emphasis on education and knowledge transfer, Malaby is able to provide real benefit in tough economic times,” concluded Thomas Minter.