Dairy Waste Plant Operational
Clearfleau Limited is pleased to announce that the anaerobic digester that it has built for Dorset based milk processor, BV Dairy, is now fully operational and supplying renewable power to the site. It is due to be handed over to BV Dairy and WRAP in late January 2011.
BV Dairy processes milk from farms in Dorset’s Blackmore Vale into yoghurt and soft cheese. It supplies food manufacturers and food service customers across the country. This project is part of a major effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the business and other UK dairy and food processing companies are looking at similar installations.
Clearfleau has supplied their innovative, high-rate anaerobic digestion system, designed to treat a range of liquid effluent, including processing wastes and co-products. The plant received grant support from WRAP, under a Government initiative to stimulate investment in innovative anaerobic digestion* (AD). The plant has a number of innovative features and during 2011 it will be open as a demonstration site for visitors.
Key Features:
- Limited Installation Footprint - based on its reduced liquid retention time but extended bio-solids retention period.
- Site Bio-security Protection - the AD plant treats only the feedstocks generated on site.
- Closed Loop, Sealed System - feedstocks are pumped to the plant, avoiding odours.
- High-rate Biomass Mixing - to ensure excellent biomass contact and optimise biogas.
- On-site Energy Generation - energy (heat and power) for use in production processes.
By digesting trade effluent and co-products (high strength whey and permeate), BV Dairy is able to feed energy back to the factory, cutting both its waste disposal and power costs. The bio-degradable fats and sugars are converted into biogas, which is used to generate renewable energy in a CHP (Combined Heat & Power) engine. The renewable electricity is used in the dairy, as is surplus heat from the CHP, cutting BV Dairy’s carbon footprint.
Other benefits from this on-site digestion process for BV Dairy include:
- Lower charges for effluent treatment and haulage of whey off site
- Reduced on-site energy consumption, with savings on energy costs
- Cutting CO2 emissions by 1,200 tonnes/ year to minimise CRC tax burden.
Note: WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) is the supervisor of the AD Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) on behalf of DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and DECC. ETF AD projects were announced on the 8th June 2009, following a selection process that started in late 2008. BV Dairy signed a contract with WRAP in November 2009. Construction was completed in Autumn 2010.