Based in Ludlow, Shropshire, and in operation since 2007, the Biocycle Ludlow Digester project uses the anaerobic digestion process to treat source separated organic waste. This successful facility was originally built as a UK Government funded/ Defra Demonstrator Project funded plant.
The concept is one of using domestic catering waste for high yield biogas production, although initially garden waste was used.
Waste to be separated in the household in a separate lined bin, including only:
Uncooked and cooked food
Vegetables and meat
Bones
No garden waste
Moisture content > 75%
Studies carried out on collection rates suggested that such a collection system would attract 200 kg per household per year.
The key components of the process for recycling organic kitchen and garden waste are:
Waste reception, which is inside a building with air emissions controlled by a biofilter;
Mechanical waste conditioning, with primary shredding;
Digester feedstock homogenisation, with secondary shredding;
Digester feedstock buffer storage, to allow for 5-day delivery of feedstock;
Michal Chesshire (Biogen Director) is on public record in stating that the Ludlow Digester business plan has proved profitable.
Other Biogen Anaerobic Digestion Plants
Biogen operates two other commercial AD plants, as well as the “Biocycle Plant” in Ludlow, Shropshire. Westwood is the newest, opened in June 2009, and located near Rushden in Northamptonshire. The second is the Twinwoods AD Plant in Milton Ernest, Bedfordshire (opened in 2005).
The Twinwoods and Ludlow AD Plants can process 47,000 tonnes of waste in total, generate 1.5 MW of green electricity, and make 33,000 tonnes of biofertiliser/year. The Westwood facility can process 45,000 tonnes of food waste each year producing 2.1MW of renewable electricity, sufficient for 3,600 homes. It also produces 35,000 tonnes of a high quality liquid biofertiliser, enough to support 1,750 acres (708 Hectares) of growing crop. (Ref: http://www.biogen.co.uk )
Based in Ludlow, Shropshire, and in operation since 2007, the Biocycle Ludlow Digester project uses the anaerobic digestion process to treat source separated organic waste. This successful facility was originally built as a UK Government funded/ Defra Demonstrator Project funded plant.
