Completion of the construction phase of a groundbreaking anaerobic digestion plant — the first in the UK to use brewery and local food waste to produce renewable gas for injection into the national gas grid as well as providing gas for use as a vehicle fuel — was announced today by Adnams Bio Energy.
In partnership with British Gas and the National Grid, the facility will start injecting renewable gas into the gas grid later this summer. It will generate up to 4.8 million kw/hr per year — enough to heat 235 family homes for a year or run an average family car for four million miles. In the future the facility will produce enough renewable gas to power the Adnams brewery and run its fleet of lorries, while still leaving up to 60 per cent of the output for injection into the National Grid.
By using brewery and local food waste to generate biomethane, the plant will make a contribution to decarbonising the gas grid by delivering renewable heat to households through the existing gas network and central heating boilers. It will also prevent the release of highly-polluting methane to the atmosphere, through diverting the waste from landfill.
Adnams Bio Energy (ABE) is wholly owned by the Bio Group: Adnams has licensed its brand name and is providing feedstock. Funds from RBS in Cambridge and grants from the European Regional Development Fund (EDRF), East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change have provided vital financial contributions to the construction of this renewable energy facility on the Adnams Distribution Centre site.
Biomethane injected into gas network
Biomethane is produced from organic material such as food waste. It is very similar to natural gas and, once upgraded to grid specification, can be injected into the gas network for end use by customers. According to a study by National Grid, it could account for at least 15 per cent of domestic gas consumption by 2020.
The Adnams Bio Energy plant consists of three digesters — sealed vessels in which naturally-occurring bacteria act without oxygen to break down up to 12,500 tonnes of organic waste each year. The result is the production of biomethane as well as a liquid organic fertiliser.
In addition, following an agreement with Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, Adnams Bio Energy has deployed British solar thermal panels and will shortly install cutting edge photo voltaic cells which will, in effect, create a mini energy park. The deal will ensure that all of the site, including the Adnams Distribution Centre, will be using renewable energy generated on-sitewith some surplus energy available for export.
