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OUR

ENVIRONMENT

RENEWABLE ENERGY

History

 

As a business we are committed to managing our waste in the most efficient, environmentally friendly way. Our day to day activities produce a high level of vegetable waste, so we needed to find a solution.

 

In 2013 we started a feasibility study, looking at the potential of building an on-farm Anaerobic Digester, to be fed partly by vegetable waste and partly by a home-grown energy crop.

 

A grid connection offer in July 2013 was soon followed by Planning Permission approval in November. In December 2013 pre-registration of the Feed in Tariff was achieved. The clock was then ticking, as the plant needed to be built and operational within twelve months – target December 2014.

 

Groundworks began in early 2014, finance was arranged, and EnviTec were chosen as the technology provider. The first crop of maize was drilled, harvested and clamped.

 

The majority of 2014 saw the ongoing civil works completed, and the installation of the technology, including tanks, CHP, feed and mixing systems.

 

November 2014 saw the delivery of the seed material, closely followed by the first feed of maize from the clamp.

 

In late November 2014 the plant created electricity for the first time, and started generating the Feed in Tariff ahead of the deadline.

Facts and figures

 

The CHP has a capacity of 499kW, and can run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

Allowing for downtime and maintenance, the plant can produce in excess of 4 million kWh per annum, enough supply for more than 900 homes.

 

The plant feeds on maize and waste leeks and onions, approximately 12,000 tonnes per annum.

 

The process also provides around 10,000m³ of digestate (waste material) which can be spread on the land as fertiliser.

Please click below to watch a short video, kindly provided by Shepherd-PR and EnviTec. 

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