Biogas

How the Biogas System Works

At the biogas plant de-packaging equipment removes plastic, tins, card and paper from food before it is processed. Using no chemical additives, the food waste is mixed with pig manure to form a substrate. The waste is pasteurised at 70 degrees Centigrade for one hour and passed into a fermenter for anaerobic digestion.

The pig manure is a very important part of the process as it provides a stable medium in which the AD process can work. AD in effect is no different to feeding animals as the bacteria are provided with a specially prepared 'soup' on which to feast!

A continuous flow system is adopted, meaning the fermenter is rarely emptied, working constantly and cost effectively. Consequently, as new food waste is introduced, an equal amount of processed substrate is transferred into storage tanks.

The methane produced is transferred to a generator and converted into electricity and heat. This electricity will be introduced into the national grid with enough capacity to provide the power requirements of over 500 houses. Nothing is wasted; the head is re-used in the process of pasteurisation, and for keeping the ferrmenters at a constant temperature. The liquid digestate produced is an excellent organic fertiliser which is used on growing crops, completing life's natural process.

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