UK biogas company producing energy from Nestle’s manufacturing waste

In the UK, award-winning British company, Clearfleau, UK market leaders in industrial anaerobic digestion (AD) for on-site renewable energy generation, reveals energy output results for its plant built for leading food sector client, global food and beverage supplier Nestlé, one year after commissioning.

The on-site bio-energy plant was designed and built by Clearfleau for Nestlé’s Fawdon confectionery factory, near Newcastle. The financial and environmental benefits from Clearfleau’s plant are contributing to Nestlé’s efforts to develop environmentally-sustainable manufacturing at Fawdon, as a beacon site for the overall organization.

One year after commissioning, the plant is converting 200,000 liters per day of feedstock into renewable energy. This feedstock includes wash waters from the site and 1,200 tons of residual bi-products and ingredients per annum.

The biogas produced is fuelling a combined heat and power (CHP) engine, which produces 200kW of electricity, used in the confectionery production process. This is about 8% of the factory’s power requirements, cutting the annual electricity bill by about GBP100,000 per annum. In addition, the site has registered for the Feed in Tariff, and will receive annual payments of about GBP250,000 per annum.

Previously, production residues from Fawdon, the former Rowntree factory, home to gums, pastilles and Rolo’s, were discharged to sewer or fed to pigs in the locality. Following the installation of the AD plant, all bio-degradable production residues are now converted into renewable energy on the factory site.