April 2010
Clearfleau - BV Dairy project on track
The BV Dairy Anaerobic Digestion (AD) project funded by the Environment Transformation Fund (ETF)* is on track despite a challenging winter, with the site covered in snow for most of January. The on-site facility, which will produce biogas from liquid effluent, will enable BV Dairy to utilise the energy (renewable power and surplus heat) produced from liquid waste in their production process.
Richard Gueterbock, Director commented:
“Despite the weather the construction team have excelled themselves. We expect commissioning to begin as planned in June. Once it is operating the plant will be open for visitors from the dairy sector and across the food industry.”
Work on the on-site biogas plant started in November 2009 and the civil build part of the project has been completed, with the main reactor tank in place and the other tanks installed. The mechanical and electrical installation phase starts after Easter, with the fitting out of the tanks and installation of the ancillary process equipment.
This demonstration project funded by the ETF for innovative Anaerobic Digestion (AD) will showcase a fully commercial application of the technology. BV Dairy was selected by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to showcase this novel liquid digestion technology. The full scale BV Dairy facility will have the capacity to treat all the liquid waste produced on their site. The liquid AD plant operates with a hydraulic retention time of 5 days and is suited to installation on confined sites.
For two years after it is operational the BV Dairy project will be accessible as a demonstration site for the industrial application of AD. Clearfleau is already looking at other applications in the dairy sector, as well as in food processing and in brewing and drinks production.
*Note the BV Dairy project is featured (on page 28) in the recently published DEFRA AD Implementation Plan – “Accelerating the uptake of Anaerobic Digestion in England”. The five ETF projects are highlighted in the report as part of the strategy of extending the use of AD in a range of sectors and applications.