Drivers for on-site Anaerobic Digestion (AD)

IntroductionAlongside the decline in renewable incentives, there are a number of regulatory factors that support the increased use of on-site Anaerobic Digestion (AD), which offers a range of potential benefits:

▪ Convert liquid process residues into renewable energy

▪ Removing over 95% of chemical oxygen demand (COD)

▪ Optimal biogas output with better digestion efficiency

▪ Minimal digester size that is suited to confined sites

▪ Heat/power supply or bio-methane injection to grid

▪ Clean water discharge after aerobic polishing phase

▪ Reduced emissions / less risk of watercourse pollution.

© Clearfleau(July2016)

Briefing note on the challenges facing UK food and beverage manufacturing / processing sites and future opportunities for improved environmental compliance, risk avoidance and sustainability – through deployment of on-site Anaerobic Digestion.

Industrial Emissions:

The EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) will apply until Brexit is concluded – UK sites will still require Environmental Permits and regulations are unlikely to diverge from EU rules.

Expected Impact: There is a requirement to measure, monitor, report and improve on energy efficiency, fuel source and usage, plus other emissions and operational efficiencies. Future obligations likely to be driven by the Environment Agency - including emissions, residue management, water and energy use and access to Best Available Techniques (BAT).

How can Clearfleau help? 'Best Practice' will specify clear sustainability targets. Clearfleau can help improve handling of residues and reduce a site’s environmental impact.

Energy Demand:

In December 2015, the Government announced that the Energy Consumption Tax (ECT) and adoption of COP21 agreements in Paris 2015 (lobbied for by the major food and beverage companies) will changes UK law in the next decade.

Expected Impact: ECT will place greater pressure on larger businesses to reduce carbon emissions and fossil fuel use and converting your process residues to energy can reduce fossil fuel demand by up to 25% and future-proof energy costs.

How can Clearfleau help? With data for potential feedstocks, Clearfleau can transform your site by converting unwanted process residues into bio-energy for use in the factory.

Carbon Reduction:The UK was among the EU leaders on carbon reduction. With Brexit, food and drink companies still need to assess their emissions strategy to match their EU competition.

Expected Impact: The UK food and drink sector must meet de-carbonisation targets and cut fossil fuel demand, despite the decline in index linked (FIT / RHI) incentive rates. Reducing carbon impact must include replacing energy intensive aerobic treatment systems (converting COD load into biogas has a direct impact on CO2 emissions).

How can Clearfleau help? Decentralised energy supply based on process residues will reduce emissions and environmental impact. Clearfleau offers funding support to SMEs.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):

After 2015 Paris COP21 Climate Convention, leading company CEOs stated: “We want the facilities where we make products to be powered by renewable energy, with nothing going to waste, as corporate leaders, we have been working hard toward these ends but we can and must do more.”

Expected Impact: Global food companies are setting ambitious targets for emissions and sustainability in their supply chains - promoting greater environmental responsibility.

How can Clearfleau help? Technical solutions like on-site AD reduce the environmental impact of food and drink production and can enhance site performance, including smaller SME sites that don’t have the resources of major companies.

This voluntary commitment to reduce carbon emissions and waste sent to landfill will help deliver the COP21 objectives and puts the UK on track to halve food waste and process residues - in accordance with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. Expected Impact: The aim is to cut resources to produce food and drink products by 20%. Some Key 10 year targets include 20% cut in residues, plus lower GHG intensity and less water use.

How can Clearfleau help? On-site AD can cut carbon emissions while generating revenue rather than adding to operational costs and improved the sites environmental performance.

Courtauld 2025 Commitment:

Water Framework Directive:

Despite increased focus on improving water discharge quality and life-cycle impact of bio-accumulation levels it is likely that UK Regulations will maintain WFD requirements.

Expected Impact: In addition to COD, discharge of Nitrogen and Phosphorous is of concern, especially high nitrate levels in rivers and phosphate in urban waste water.

How can Clearfleau help? Effective on-site digestion will reduce COD levels by over 95%, while cutting nitrate and phosphate release - through biomass conversion into biogas. Handling process residues through bio-energy based effluent treatment systems can also provide access to cleansed grey water for on-site recycling, to reduce net water use.

Animal By-products Directive:

EU Animal By-Products Regulations were enhanced post the 2001 foot and mouth (FMD) outbreak. Brexit will not affect the ban on feeding uncooked ABPs to pigs and other bio-security measures.

Expected Impact: Cat 3 ABP controls (i.e. lower risk) may be extended to other food factory residues, requiring heat treatment and pathogen risk control for fats, oils and greases (FOG), protein or sugar rich residues.

How can Clearfleau help? AD with pasteurisation (70⁰C for 1 hour) is permitted for Cat 3 ABPs. Digestion of more residues will increase on-site energy generation and systems with >95% COD removal will significantly reduce bio-security risk.

Can Clearfleau help you?

Are you facing higher energy or disposal costs? Does adding value to your production residues make sense? Do you have an outdated effluent treatment system? Do you want to cut your carbon emissions?

Investing in our proven on-site digestion can help your manufacturing sites become more sustainable and efficient by reducing your disposal charges and optimising energy output from residues. In our versatile, robust plants, deployed on a number of sites in the UK, microbes that thrive without oxygen convert fats, sugars and proteins into biogas.

For more data, or to have an in-depth conversation on how Clearfleau can help

Contact: W: clearfleau.co.uk E: info@clearfleau.com T: 0844 477 6292 A: Clearfleau Limited, Lilly hill Court, Lilly Hill Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 2SJ