A new biogas facility which Canada-headed organic waste treatment plant operators and technology providers Anaergia Inc., built for Kelda Organic Energy Ltd., a subsidiary of Kelda Group, at Tremorfa, Cardiff, Wales, has begun operations. Using proprietary technologies from the Anaergia group of companies, this facility will process 35 000 tonnes per year of food waste as part of the Welsh Government’s Zero Waste food waste treatment programme.
Kelda Organic Energy (Cardiff) is a company which has been established by Kelda Water Services, to design, build, finance and operate two innovative recycling facilities for the treatment of the City of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils’ organic wastes. Kelda Organic Energy (Cardiff) is delivering an anaerobic digestion (AD) facility and an Open Windrow Composting facility in Cardiff as part of the Welsh Governments ‘Towards Zero Waste’ initiative.
The biogas facility is located at Welsh Water’s Cardiff Wastewater Treatment Works, adjacent to the Tremorfa Industrial estate in Cardiff. The facility is capable of processing 35 000 tonnes of discarded food waste annually, which will include all of the food waste collected by Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils plus other commercial waste arising’s from local businesses.
The renewable energy produced by the anaerobic digestion (AD) process will be used by Welsh Water to offset its need to purchase energy from the electricity grid whereas the PAS 110 compliant digestate will be used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer for farmers.
Equipment used in this facility includes Anaergia’s exclusive equipment including a “BioREX” Organic Press Extruder system for efficient feedstock pre-treatment. It also includes Anaergia’s AD system with propriety service boxes which ensure improved operator safety, efficiency and ease of maintenance. The biogas produced by the process is used as renewable fuel for a 2 MW combined heat and power (CHP) generator.
At Anaergia, we view organic waste as a sustainable resource, rather than as a problem. Our fully integrated solutions, which are utilized in the Cardiff plant, will show this. Therefore, this plant will serve as a model facility that will benefit all of its stakeholders, noted Dr Andrew Benedek, CEO, Anaergia Inc.
Kelda Water Services (KWS) have been working in partnership with the City of Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan councils, Welsh Water, Encon and Anaergia for “some considerable time” on the construction of a new organic waste treatment centre in Cardiff.
