In the race for renewables biogas plants and Anaerobic Digestors (AD) have proved popular and effective methods. In the UK bioenergy now accounts for about one quarter of our renewable supply.
Anaerobic digestion – the process of breaking down waste to produce energy – and biogas fuels can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the amount of rubbish that goes into landfill. Flow measurement computers are put to good use at biogas plants, allowing those within the company to measure exact energy outputs and return on investment on waste recycling facilities – reducing waste and energy bills.
Ex~i Flow Measurement supplied the Model SFC3000 gas flow computer used to measure biogas energy produced from the Natuurgas Overijssel BV (joint venture of NV ROVA Holding and HVC Alkmaar) plant at Zwolle in The Netherlands. The plant was opened in June 2010 and is expected to produce up to 3 million m3 of natural gas annually.
We’ve found 3 excellent examples of other companies using biogas plants commercially to support their businesses.
1. Burdens
The UK’s leading supplier of engineering and building materials for the infrastructure, environmental and industrial markets launched the first commercial small scale AD system this year. The system was designed to recycle localised food waste to generate power, heat and biofertiliser.
The vegetable growers Staples already have one biogas plant in place and this year they’ve announced plans for a second plant, expected to be commissioned next year. The new plant will be built at the company’s Sibsey site in Lincolnshire where the national grid cannot currently support their increased production of vegetables.
Bernard Matthews, the UK’s largest turkey farmer and supplier, announced in August they were installing their own biogas plant. The company already supports recycling waste and currently outsource the service, but with their own biogas plant Bernard Matthews will improve the company’s waste handling and energy costs, as well as saving over 1000 lorry journeys a year.