Jane Davidson launches new food initiative while visiting InSource Energy plant
March 2010
Welsh minister for the Environment and Sustainability, Jane Davidson, launched a consultation on Food Manufacture, Service and Retail Sector plan for waste this week while visiting our AD plant at RF Brookes near Newport.
This is the third in a series of plans which set out the waste reduction framework for Wales. Wales has a target to recycle 70% of waste by 2025 and achieve zero waste by 2050.
The plan addresses waste from businesses such as food manufacturers, shops and the service sector, which accounts for 40% of Wales’ commercial and industrial waste. Ms Davidson urged them to get involved in the consultation to help shape policy.
She said: “It is important that the burden of reducing food and packaging waste does not rest solely with householders.
The food manufacture, service and retail sectors together generate 40% of our industrial and commercial waste, while food waste has the largest ecological footprint; accounting for 30 % of the total ecological footprint for industrial and commercial waste.”
The plan proposes a reduction of waste of 1.2% annually through businesses encouraging their suppliers to use less packaging, use recyclable materials and treating food waste through anaerobic digestion (AD).
The Welsh government wants to develop AD as the primary method of dealing with food waste. Wales put £34 million into the development of food waste collection between 2009 and 2011 and 80% of homes now benefit from this service.
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Anaerobic digestion facilities fully operational at Premier Foods
June 2011
InSource Energy has partnered with Premier Foods’ RF Brookes ready meal facility at Rogerstone, South Wales to deliver on-site anaerobic digestion facilities to treat the food waste from the manufacturing process.
The £5m facility has been designed and built by InSource Energy who also own and operate the plant converting RF Brookes’ food waste into energy to help power the factory, which is the leading supplier of ready meals to Marks & Spencer. The plant provides significant savings in waste disposal and energy bills and will reduce carbon emissions by around 8,500 tonnes per year.
Believed to be the first example in Wales of a factory being partially powered by its own waste in this way, the Premier foods site is now at full operational capacity. The plant has the capacity to process up to 18,000 tonnes of unavoidable organic waste per year, generating 1.4 million m3 of biogas with a thermal calorific value of 8.4MWh. The biogas consisting of 60% methane and 40% CO2 will be converted into electricity and heat via a combined heat and power engine (CHP), which is then used in the RF Brookes manufacturing process.
At a glance statistics
| InSource Energy | Design, build, operate, finance |
| Premier Foods | Built within site boundary, provide waste, purchase heat and power |
| Capacity | 18,000tpa |
| Feedstock | Food
wastes, effluent sludge and contaminated Plastic |
| Process | Wet AD with depacking (inc plastics washing) and pasteurisation |
| Electrical output | 300kW (net) |
| Heat Output | 400kW (net) |
| Digestate | PAS 110 compliant to local arable farms |
InSource Energy managing director John Scott said: “We are delighted to be working with Premier Foods on this significant step forward in the on-site treatment of biodegradeable waste. This market is at a relatively early stage and the development of this waste to energy project will provide further demonstration to food and drink manufacturers of the opportunity to develop sustainable solutions to the treatment of biodegradable waste.”
RF Brookes Managing Director, Phil Coles, said: “Premier Foods is committed to embedding sustainability throughout our business operations. We’ve set a challenging target of sending zero waste to landfill by 2015 and also to maximise opportunities for obtaining energy from renewable sources. We are pleased that this initiative will help us on our road to achieving both of these objectives and are delighted that our partnership with InSource Energy has allowed us to be the first company in Wales to adopt this technology in this way.”
The Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing Jane Davidson said: “Anaerobic digestion is the most environmentally sound way of dealing with our food waste, but as this project shows, it can bring financial benefits too. I am looking forward to following the progress of this pioneering facility, and wish all involved with it every success with their plans.”
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