New Technologies Demonstrator Programme

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www.defra.gov.uk

New TechnologiesDemonstrator Programme

Catalogue of Applications

Waste Implementation ProgrammeNew Technologies


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Disclaimer

This Document has been developed in good faith by Urban Mines Ltd and the Mini WasteFaraday Partnership on behalf of Defra, and neither Defra nor the authors shall incur anyliability for any action or omission arising out of any reliance being placed on the Documentby any Local Authority or organisation or other person. Any Local Authority or organisationor other person in receipt of this Document should take their own legal, financial and otherrelevant professional advice when considering what action (if any) to take in respect of anywaste strategy, initiative, proposal, or other involvement with any waste management optionor technology, or before placing any reliance on anything contained therein.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsNobel House17 Smith SquareLondon SW1P 3JRTelephone 020 7238 6000Website: www.defra.gov.uk

Crown copyright 2005

Copyright in the typographical arrangement and design rests with the Crown.

This publication (excluding the logo) may be reproduced free of charge in anyformat or medium provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a

misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyrightwith the title and source of the publication specified.

Further copies of this publication are available from:

Defra PublicationsAdmail 6000LondonSW1A 2XXTel: 08459 556000Email: [email protected]

This document is also available on the Defra website.

Published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.Printed in the UK, December 2005, on material that contains a minimum of 100% recycledfibre for uncoated paper and 75% recycled fibre for coated paper.

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Waste Implementation ProgrammeNew Technologies

New TechnologiesDemonstrator Programme

Catalogue of Applications


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Contents

1 Introduction 2

2 Description of Applications 3

Mechanical Sorting & Processing, Thermal Treatment & Composting 4

Composting 8

Anaerobic & Aerobic Digestion 22

In Vessel Digestion 26

Mechanical Biological Treatment 34

Thermal Treatment 42

Other 62

3 Summary Table 70

4 Glossary 72


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1. Introduction

The New Technologies Demonstrator Programme was initiated by DEFRA as part of the WasteImplementation Programme (WIP) in 2004.

The aim of the Demonstrator Programme is to provide around 30m to help to establish newwaste treatment technologies that require pilot plants to demonstrate their viability. Theprogramme is intended to help overcome the perceived risks of implementing new technologiesin England and to provide accurate and impartial technical, environmental and economic data.The objective of the programme is to have five demonstration plants in operation by the end of2005 and a further five by the end of 2006.

There were two rounds of bidding for the funding in 2004 and DEFRA received around 90

applications. In order to assess the applications each project was reviewed by a TechnologiesAdvisory Committee, which gave a series of recommendations on the suitability of the projects.It was recognised that the applications were of a high quality and that a record of the projectswould be a useful resource for academia and local government. Therefore, each applicant wasgiven the opportunity to be included in a catalogue of the applications.

The catalogue that follows gives the basic details of each application, describes the inputs andoutputs of the project and includes project contact details. The descriptions of the applicationsare divided into technology groups, such as composting and thermal treatment. Urban Mines Ltdwith support from the Mini Waste Faraday Partnership produced the project summaries from thefull applications.

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2. Description of Applications

Mechanical Sorting & Processing, Thermal Treatment & CompostingIntegrated Mixed Waste Processing Systems 4

Advanced Thermal Process, In-Vessel Composting and Associated Developments 6

CompostingHolistic BMW Diversion Project 8

Rotary in-vessel advanced aerobic composting 10

Processing of School Canteen Waste in Redcar and Cleveland 12

Intermediate Scale In-Situ Food-Waste Composting 14

SBS Biotel 16

MORE-Compost Modular Outdoor Recycling Environments 18WH White New Earth System 20

Anaerobic & Aerobic DigestionEnhanced Anaerobic Digestion for the Production of Biogas using Ohmic Heating Pre-Treatment 22

The Cary Moor Anaerobic Digestion Plant 24

In-Vessel DigestionThe IWI RAD (Rotary Aerobic Digester) System 26

Myerscough College Anaerobic Digestion System 28

South Shropshire Biowaste Digester 30

Community Organic Recycling: CORe Plant 32

Mechanical Biological TreatmentH.E.BIO.T. High Efficiency Biological Technology 34

The ArrowBio Process 36

Organic Resource Technologies Ltd 38

The reCulture Process 40

Thermal TreatmentSolid Recovered Fuel Production Plant, Materials Recovery Facility and Energy Generation 42

Continuous Feed Process for the Pyrolysis/Gasification of BMW and other Wastes 44Compact Power ATT Avonmouth 46

Recycling and Recovery of Biodegradable Municipal Waste by Fluidized Bed Gasification Technology 48

Advanced Thermal Conversion of Residual Biodegradable Waste 50

Gasification of BMW Residues 52

RESULT Renewable Energy Station Utilising Landfill & Technology 54

The Planet Project 56

The RTAL Trefoil Process 58

OtherEECO Integrated Recycling Centre 60

Estech Europe FibrecycleTM

System 62Project Orchid 64

The GeneSyst Process 66

The Sterecycle Process 68


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Integrated Mixed Waste Processing Systems

Bio-Resource Ltd.Technology type: Mechanical Sorting and Processing & Anaerobic Digestion

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Descriptions of Applications

Project Description

The objective is to separate the variousfractions of mixed waste before shredding toavoid excessive cross-contamination and thenpass the separated


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The facility would produce marketablesecondary products (refined dRDF for coalreplacement in conventional boilers and a

ROC-able biomass pellet for CO2 offset incement kilns). The non-biodegradable fractions(metals and glass) will all be separated,processed or prepared according to localmarket outlets and facilities.

Plastics will be cleaned and blended for furtherreprocessing into value added products.

Costs

Subject to more detailed site specific analysis,the capital costs for the full facility handling100,000 tpa MSW are around 15-20m.

Mass Balance

Mixed waste input of 100,000tpa (and abalance of process water) will result in thefollowing approximate outputs:Plastics 10,000tpa, Glass 5,000tpa,

Ferrous metals 8,000tpa,Non-ferrous metals 1,000tpa

Putrescibles for AD:35,000tpa leading to approx.18,000tpa of dewatered solid matter forblending, dRDF for thermal recovery25,000tpa (dried & refined)Grit & sand 10,000tpa, Miscellaneousresiduals 5,000tpaDigestate liquid, plus biogas

Emissions

Emissions from the enclosed waste storage

and processing system will be contained in wetscrubbers. Emissions to air will be via the gasengines (AD plant). Odour emissions from theAD plant will be in accordance with IPPCLicence standards and closely controlled usingin-line analysis. Any wash water will be sent tothe AD plant via interceptors. An intensiveoxygen destruction and purification system willbe used to reduce remaining dry matter in theseparated digestate afterwards.

Project Contact Details:Mark ChristensenBio-Resource LimitedNorton Barn OfficesDitcheatSomersetBA4 6TLTel: 01749 860 787Fax: 01749 890 008Email: [email protected]

Project Partners:Institute of Grassland and EnvironmentalResearch, Advanced Recycling TechnologiesLtd, Moore Bros (Frome) Ltd, AgRecycle Ltd

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Advanced Thermal Process, In-Vessel

Composting and Associated DevelopmentsYorwaste Ltd.Technology type: Mechanical Sorting and Processing & Anaerobic Digestion


Project Description

The proposed development (of an existingwaste management facility) includes theprovision of:

A residual waste sorting and segregationplant (Complex MRF);

An in-vessel composting process;

An advanced thermal treatment process(Pyrolysis unit);

A gas-conversion electricity-generating unit.

This facility will divert from landfill 22,208tonnes of BMW out of every 35,000 tonnes ofhousehold waste handled annually andprovide 2,400kW of (Renewable Obligationcompliant) electricity and 2,630kW of locallyutilisable waste heat.

Technology Background

The Wastec kinetic separation process

(Complex MRF) is an established front-endseparation process that will be used to

separate different fractions of the input MSW,enabling recycling of metals, glass and heavyplastics, separation of wet organics for HotRotin-vessel composting, and separation of a highCV paper based material suitable for energy

recovery. HotRot is a New Zealand designedin-vessel composting process which, althoughnew to the UK and being used in its first MSW/ BMW treatment application, has extensiveproven operational performance. The GEM gasconversion technology and energy recoveryprocess has had eight years of prototypeoperation and limited operation of a full sizeunit. The process is designed on a modularbasis, providing a sustainable solution to EUrequirements for the diversion of waste fromlandfill, whilst providing added benefits for theproduction of clean energy. NEL Powers role isto develop and integrate the design and inaddition build and operate the gas conversionand energy recovery plant. The integration ofthese three patented technologies combinedas an MBT and advanced thermal treatmentsystem is unique and novel.

Inputs / Outputs

The process is designed to deal withconventionally collected household wasteand therefore does not rely on householdergoodwill or participation in pre-sorting. TheHotRot system would be an accredited processfor in-vessel composting of Animal By-productswith State Veterinary Service approval. Outputcompost could be used as a soil enhancer andas a subsoil material within landfill restorationsoils layer. The gas conversion stage produces

a quantity of carbon/ash char residue. For thepurposes of the project, it is assumed that this


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char will initially be disposed of to landfill,although alternative uses (e.g. as a compostenhancer or as a filler in concrete/brick type

products) will be sought.

Costs

The combined capital investment for the land,Complex MRF, in-vessel composting andthermal processing units is 9.62 million.The facility will have a fully commissionedoperating capacity of 35,000tpa.

Energy Balance

The plant will produce up to 2.41 MW ofRenewable Obligation compliant electricity andup to 2.63 MW of available heat for localutilisation at design capacity.

Mass Balance

A summary mass balance for the three-yeardemonstration period is shown below. In the

region of 54,000 tonnes of BMW will bediverted in this period.

Wastec Complex MRF: Household Waste85,000t, Paper 18,800t, Paper-pellet RDF9,250t Plastic 8,500t Recyclate 4,250t, WetOrganics 27,200t, Landfill 8,500t,Miscellaneous 8,500t

HotRot in-vessel composting: Wet Organics16,000t, Compost 12,000t Water loss 4,000t

Emissions

The process is projected to operate well withinthe environmental limits of the WasteIncineration Directive (WID). CO levels inexhaust gases will be minimised by passagethrough a thermal oxidiser, while NOx levelscan be controlled by various conventionalmeans. The volume and properties of

carbon/ash char produced by gas conversionwill be dependent on the volume of inert

material and make-up of the fuel. It isestimated that 10% by volume of receivedwaste will remain as char. The char will be

classified under the European WasteCatalogue as Waste from Incineration orPyrolysis of Waste 19.01.18 (Pyrolysis wastenot containing dangerous substances) and willbe acceptable for landfill disposal under thewaste management licence / PPC permit.

Project Contact Details:Tony SharkeyWaste Strategy and Contracts Manager,

Yorwaste LtdMount ViewStandard WayNorthallertonNorth YorkshireDL6 2YDTel: 01609 774400Fax: 01609 772327Email: [email protected]

Project Partners:

North Yorkshire County Council, GravesonEnergy Management Ltd, NEL Power, WastecHotRot Composting Systems Ltd



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Holistic BMW Diversion Project

Alpheco Composting Ltd.Technology type: Composting


Project Description

The project would use the innovative BioCollmethod to co-collect and co-compost cateringand green wastes from 4,500 households

plus commercial catering wastes and formerfoodstuffs from food-processing companies.The EU sanitization standard (ABP particles 70oC for 1 hour) would be used.


BioColl gives primacy to source sorted andseparately collected domestic catering wastes,to achieve high recovery and diversion rates

and permit co-collection of commercial biowastes. It draws on kindred kerbside collectiontrials that have included optimally sized bio-bins, high-rise blocks and use of pedestriancontrolled vehicles (PCVs) in particularcircumstances. Alphecos in-vessel systemshave been developed via a prototypes sold toAnglian Water in 1998. Progressiveimprovements with Alphecos own prototype,in which over 3,000 tonnes of variousbiowastes were composted by the June 2001moratorium due to foot & mouth. Alphecosupplied 15 vessels (3 systems) toAberdeenshire in 2003/4.

Inputs / Outputs

Target waste streams are:

Municipal/domestic catering waste (foodwaste and soiled paper) collected via weeklykerbside transfer from households 25-litrebins in to 120-litre bins.

Commercial catering wastes fromrestaurants and supermarkets plus formerfoodstuffs of animal origin from foodprocessing plants.

Botanical wastes such as soft, greenwastes from household gardens (if nothome composted) and woody wastesprovided by a kerbside chipping service.

The resultant compost, to be applied to land,

is expected to have a total organic mattercontent of 47%, with 2% N, 1% P and 1% Kon a dry-weight basis. Recirculation of processgases and a stabilization temperature at about45C will help to fix N and minimize loss of C,thus enhancing the product. Inclusion ofcommercial bio wastes should enhance thenutrient levels compared to green wastecompost. The aim is to ensure the compostmeets the PAS 100 standard. The un-wrappingline is expected to generate significantamounts of plastic and minor amounts of glassand metal. The latter two should be suitablefor recycling. The plastic would probably betoo soiled for recycling so would beamalgamated with residual wastes for MBTdrying.

Costs

Estimated capital costs for a complete HBMW

collection system and facility (composting andMBT) handling 13,600 tpa are around 770K.


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Energy Balance

The estimated total annualised energy input

for the project is approximately 19,700 GJ,however this is dominated by transfer andlogistics operations, in particular RCVcollections for residuals, which woulddisappear if the residuals were utilised in anadjacent MBT plant. The estimated directoperational energy requirements for acomposting facility and MBT plant are only1,100 GJ/annum. The production of compostrepresents an energy output of 25,500GJ/annum heat (potentially usable in MBT),

while the residual material (potential dry fuelproduct of MBT) contains a further 21,300GJ/annum.

Mass Balance

The mass balance for the process is influencedby the inputs, notably how much homegreen wastes will be taken in. Outputcompost mass is estimated to be from 13% to

27% of the input mass with 100% and zerohome composting respectively. Water lossduring composting is about 14 11% of massin the same scenarios, with residuals of 42 24%.

Emissions

Previous co-composting experience has shownaerosols and smells from the system biofiltersto be acceptable on site and some 50m

downwind. The reception building will bemaintained at negative pressure and bio-filtered to eliminate emissions duringpreparation and loading. The MBT plant wouldbe similarly emission-free, while residuals afterbio-stabilization would be less odiferous thancurrent landfilling of untreated putrescibles.The associated MBT plant for drying residualsusing excess heat from composting, will leadto a potential RDF. No energy-from-wasteplant has been found within economic rangeof the site, so it is planned to landfill that dryresidual waste locally.

Project Contact Details:Neil WinshipAlpheco Composting Ltd

Westhill, Copdock, IpswichIP8 3ETTel: 01473 730259Fax: 01473 730 325Email: [email protected]: www.alpheco.co.uk



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Rotary in-vessel advanced aerobic composting

Bioganix Ltd.Technology type: Composting


Project Description

The project involves a rotary in-vesseladvanced aerobic composting system forsource separated kitchen waste and otherBMW. 10,000 tonnes per year of BMWcombined with a further 5,000 tonnes ofother organic wastes would be converted intohigh-grade fertiliser/compost to be supplied tofarmer users.

The project involves building a new rotarycomposting vessel and batch treatment systemincorporating design changes indicated by aresearch and trial programme. Existingbuildings, a waste reception area and odourcontrol system would be utilised. The originalcompost vessel, feed elevators, mixing systemand compost screening equipment areoptimised for the handling of waste materialsarising from the poultry industry. Alterations,additions and improvements to this equipment

would be necessary to accommodate the morevaried waste streams arising from sourceseparated BMW.


Bioganix has operated a reasonably large-scaleexperimental plant, processing up to 150tonnes per week of organic wastes, for almosttwo years. Trial work on a range ofbiodegradable waste streams has managed toproduce a valuable high quality compost /organic fertiliser. Bioganixs links to its farmerowners have ensured that there is currently anestablished market for this type of productinto agriculture.

Inputs / Outputs

The plant will handle source separated mixedgarden and kitchen waste. Waste will either betransported directly to the plant in Refuse

Collection Vehicles or be bulked up into largerloads at a transfer station. Successfulcomposting relies on a diversity of wastestreams to provide a suitable mix withappropriate moisture content,Carbon/Nitrogen ratios and structure.

85% by weight of incoming waste material isconverted to saleable compost for use onfarmland. Compost produced by previous trialsof the system has been to the standards of

PAS 100 for pathogen contamination andforeign material. This project would reasonablyexpect to repeat this for BMW-derivedcompost.

Costs

The project is scaled to process 15,000 tonnesof waste per annum (including 10,000 tpaBMW). It is estimated that if the project were

to start from scratch, overall cost would bearound 2.4M.


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Energy Balance

Composting does not produce any exportable

or re-usable energy; it is a net user of energy.The main composting process is howeverremarkably energy efficient; bacterial energycreates all the required temperature rise andthe rotating vessel will use only 10KW ofpower to operate. Most of the energyconsumption within the plant will be for odourcontrol, maintaining negative air pressure andscrubbing units. In the wider context thecompost produced would displace artificial(energy intensively produced) fertilisers on

farmland. Energy used in the process is lessthan 10% of the energy value of the fertilisercreated.

Mass Balance

Trial work to date indicates that thecomposting process results in approximately15 to 20% weight loss of input material. Mostof this arises from moisture loss with a small

amount of carbon dioxide given off duringrespiration. Thus 80 to 85% of input mass istransformed into a valuable compost/fertiliser.

Emissions

Odour emissions will be controlled by asophisticated air scrubbing system. A largebio-filter has also been on trial and issuccessfully reducing odour levels to belowEnvironment Agency H4 guidelines. The

thorough, complete and continual aeration ofthe compost mass in a rotary compost vesselensures that aerobic conditions are constantlymaintained, minimising anaerobic productionof methane. Ammonia emissions are scrubbedfrom exhaust air using acidic water scrubbers.Waste water from the ammonia odourscrubbing systems is not discharged but isused as a liquid fertiliser. There are no processleachates.

Project Contact Details:Nick HelmeBioganix Ltd

Wharton CourtLeominsterHerefordHR6 0NXTel: 01568 610033Fax: 01568 620287Email: [email protected]: www.bioganix.co.uk



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Processing of School Canteen Waste in

Redcar and ClevelandE.A. Environmental (UK) Ltd.Technology type: Composting


Project Description

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council andE.A. Environmental (UK) Ltd. would operate atrial demonstrator scheme involving thecollection of school canteen waste fromLaurence Jackson School, and a maximum of100 households in the immediate vicinity ofthe school, in Guisborough in the Borough ofRedcar and Cleveland. This would then bedelivered to a designated location where itwould be processed and 100% recycled into asoil improver using the Ceres machine. Thiswaste is presently being disposed of in landfill.The trial has been geared around food wastegenerated by the school because it ispredictable, constant and consistent. Also as aresult of the introduction of new legislation,such as the Fresh Fruit in Schools Schemelaunched in October 2002, and the necessityto supply pupils with fruit or vegetables atschool, there will be an increase in canteenwaste generated from such sources.

The Ceres is a new unique waste food-processing unit. It makes possible the truly

organic processing of food waste, not usingbacteria, but a special reducing liquid as acatalyst. It is therefore completely differentfrom conventional composting. Installing theCeres Waste Food Processor would provide a

safe, rapid, clean and harmless process that iscapable of recycling 100% of food wasteinput, in a controlled environment on site, thusreducing the environmental effects and costsof transport, handling and disposal.


E.A. Environmental is developing the Cereswaste food processing machine for DaihatsuDiesel and they are working hand in hand withthe necessary statutory bodies in order toobserve legislative demands. It is theirintention to provide customers with analternative method of recycling food wastethat will prevent any potential handlingproblems and remove the need fortransportation of food waste produced on adaily basis. The Ceres unit is designed to betagged onto a canteen or food outlet toenable that facility to process their own food

waste with the minimum of effort and in asafe, environmentally friendly way. Themachine has been working successfully in anumber of specific placements in variouslocations in Japan and is operating underlicense in Ireland. It caters for a cross sectionof canteen food wastes which are treated onsite. The food is recycled into a nutrient richsand that can be applied to land as a soilimprover. Growth trials using the soil improverhave been carried out successfully, with results

showing much improved standards in plantand grass growth / product.


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Inputs / Outputs

The unit is designed to handle degradable

catering wastes on-site at establishments suchas schools, hospitals, factories, nursing homesand hotels.

Typical input ratios to the unit are 100 partsfood waste, 50 parts sand, 3 parts of aproprietary reducing liquid, and 30 parts water.

The sanitized and stabilized (pathogen free,ABP compliant) soil improver produced by theprocessing (2 4 day cycle), could be added to

conventional composted green waste orblended with sub-soils to produce topsoil toBS 3882 standard. This may have a commercialvalue, but this cannot be assumed at this stage.

Scale / Costs

The trial machine is able to process 50kgs perday, however the technology is versatile and amachine that will process 1000kgs per day is

also available. Purchase cost for a trial unit isaround 40,000 with direct operating costs of1,800 per annum.

Mass Balance

100% of inputs are converted to useable soilimprover.

Emissions

The technology is an in-vessel fully chemicalsystem, which makes the processing operationvery consistent and stable. Organic matter isreduced and putrid smells are deodorised athigh speed. It generates approximately1/80,000 the level of CO2 of conventionalcomposting systems. The system does notproduce any form of pollution or leachate.

Project Contact Details:Peter J SmithE. A. Environmental (UK) Ltd

Rotterdam House116 QuaysideNewcastle upon TyneNE1 3DYTel: 0191 2064005Fax: 0191 2064001Email: [email protected]: www.eaenviro.com

Project Partners:

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council,Bio Recycling Solutions Ltd,University of Teesside CLEMANCE



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Intermediate Scale In-Situ Food-Waste

CompostingThe Eden ProjectTechnology type: Composting


Project Description

This project would trial in-situ food-wastecomposting for the significant sector fallingbetween small scale domestic composting andlarger scale plants requiring significant wastetransport. If proved to be economically andenvironmentally viable it could be of greatbenefit to a broad range of organisations.Housed within the Waste Neutral RecyclingCompound (WNRC) at the Eden Project, itoffers an exceptional demonstration

opportunity to both public and professionalinterested parties, and additionally to contributeto the wider diversion of BMW throughinforming the general public. The project wouldassess the environmental and financialoutcomes, and make a recommendation on thesuitability of complete in-vessel composting as asolution for environmentally-friendly disposal ofsmall stream organic wastes, diverting BMWfrom landfill.


The system identified to deliver this project isSustecos NETER 30 in-vessel composter.Susteco (Sweden) are experienced in providing

quality systems, generally to schools andcommunity groups throughout NorthernEurope, and have a number of smaller (BigHanna) units operating successfully in the UK.The NETER series of composters are designedand manufactured by Torsten Hultin, theinventor of the ALE trumman composter. From1991 until 2003 over 500 ALE trumman havebeen sold worldwide, and there areinstallations throughout Scandinavia, UnitedKingdom, France and Japan. The NETER

composter addresses the need for on sitecomposting of food waste for those with agreater throughput.

Inputs / Outputs

The final output compost is very potent andwill need to be mixed at a ratio of 1 part toevery 5 parts soil.

Scale / CostsDirect capital costs of the in-vessel composterare approximately 170,000. The NETER 30has a capacity of 30 cubic metres, or between1 and 1.5 tonnes per day of biodegradablewaste, but the NETER system can beconfigured at various capacities.


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Energy Balance

Composting is an exothermic reaction and

therefore provides its own heat. Energy islocked up in the resultant growth mediumfor slow release when used for planting. Thealternatives to composting on site would be tocompost in a centralised facility, or to send tolandfill. Both these transport intensive optionshave a negative effect on carbon balance andenergy consumption. Electrical demand to runthe system is about 25kWhr per day.

Mass BalanceMass loss is calculated to be a reduction of70-95% of the input, depending on thevariation of the waste material in quality aswell as quantity. The compost output istherefore expected to be around 10 20% ofthe input by mass, with a moisture content of25 35%.

Emissions

Atmospheric emissions are mainly in the formof CO2 and water vapour. Approximately16.5kg CO2 will be emitted for every 100kgwaste treated, however, this does not affecttotal atmospheric CO2, as the carbon wasoriginally taken out of atmospheric CO2 (viaphotosynthesis) when the food was growing.A biofilter deals with unwanted smells, andthere is no methane generation. Any runoffwill go into the closed drainage system, and

be treated through a membrane bioreactor togrey water standards. There is no discharge toland other than composted material, whichwill no longer be waste but a recyclableproduct.

Project Contact Details:Alison VaughanEden Project

BodelvaSt AustellCornwallPL24 2SGTel: 01726 811975Fax: 01726 811912Email: [email protected]

Project Partners:Susteco AB, Sweden



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SBS Biotel

Sustainable Biowaste SolutionsTechnology type: Composting


Project Description

The aim of the project is to combinebiodegradable waste from a householdcollection round with ABP type wastes.The site for the scheme is a farm near

Sittingbourne in Kent. All of the municipalwaste will come from houses within 15 milesof the farm. The site already has a 15 tpdprototype of the plant up and running.The annual amount of waste treated by theproject would be in the region of 15,000tonnes. However, there would be considerableseasonal variations in the amount of wastecollected from the households. In summer asmuch as 150 tonnes of waste a day could be

delivered to the site, falling to around 50tonnes per day in winter.


Upon delivery to the site the waste is taken toa sorting station for manual screening. At thisstage an operator can remove unwantedobjects such as stones, bottles and bags.The waste then enters a separator system,where loose soil is removed. After the initialsorting a preliminary biowaste characterisationis conducted to determine the other processinputs required to manufacture the specifiedfertiliser product. The Biotel system essentiallycomprises four vessels: an infeed reactor vessel(mesophilic); two (thermophilic) biodigestervessels; and a finished product storagevessel where the residue is kept until it ispumped out for agricultural use. The twocentral biodigester vessels use aerobic bacteria

to break down and sterilise large batches oforganic matter in less than 24 hours. Thebrown bin waste goes through a shredder andgrinder to transform it into slurry. This slurry isthen mixed with the ABP type wastes in the90,000 litre infeed BIOTEL reactor vessel.The temperature of the waste is raised byactivating bacteria through continuousaeration, this raises the temperature tobetween 40C and 45C.

The waste is then transferred into the primarymesophilic bio-digester, which is linked to asecondary thermophilic digester. In the firsttank the bacterial action and an agitatormechanism raises the temperature to around65C. In the secondary digester theproliferation of bacteria raises the temperatureto 75C, where it is held at a controlled level.The whole Biotel process is completed within16 to 24 hours. The output product ispathogen free product, which can be sold asan organic fertiliser with specified NPK control.


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Inputs / Outputs

It is expected that around 10% of the waste

from the household collection will not besuitable for the Biotel process, i.e. rubble andplastics. The annual input of 15,000 tonnes ofbiodegradable waste should produce 15,000tonnes of liquid fertiliser or 3,750 tonnes ofdewatered solid fertiliser granules.

Costs

The cost of building the plant would besomewhere in the region of 1 million.

Energy Balance

The main use of electricity for the plant is inthe stirring mechanism of the tanks. It isestimated that the electricity cost is in theregion of 1 per tonne processed.

Mass Balance

There is likely to be very little differencebetween the weight and volume of materialentering the plant and that leaving as fertiliser.There may be a 5% moisture loss through theevaporation and egress of steam through anactivated carbon filter but most of themoisture condenses and is fed back into theprocessing system.

Emissions

There is no liquid effluent from the bio processand bio-filters on the air vents eliminatesodours.

Project Contact Details:Philip MooreSustainable Biowaste Solutions Ltd

Main StreetUpper BenefieldOundlePeterboroughPE8 5ANTel: 01832 205106Fax: 01832 205353Web: www.sustainablebio.com

Project Partners:

Swale Borough Council & Biffa



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MORE-Compost

Modular Outdoor Recycling EnvironmentsWaste Audit Company Ltd.Technology type: Composting


Project Description

The proposal is to employ an affordable andsimple in-vessel composting technology(Rocket In-Vessel Composting) within a locallevel, community based biodegradable wastecollection and treatment scheme. Theproposed technology is mobile (easily relocatedwithout disruption to the process), scaleable(up or down), clean, uses very little power, andproduces nutrients to put back into theenvironment.

Composting will be decentralised, with eachsite offering capacity matched to the needs ofthe sub-district served, typically around 1,000households. A high participation rate will beencouraged through multiple approachesincluding, supply of a free kitchen caddy, freebio-bags, weekly collections, a local bio-bagdrop-off area at each compost station, and alocal friendly service. Previous bio-bag schemes

have experienced over 90% participation rateand negligible contamination.


The Rocket machine requires wet organicwaste with equal amounts of dry green wasteto produce a compost, and can process meat,

bones, animal faeces, cardboard and paper.There are no operational equivalents with thistechnology, on this scale, and there are nocommercial operations of this size, using thisnew technology. The Rocket Compost machinehas been researched and tested since 1995and was granted a patent in 2001. Some smallfacilities are in full operation processingfeedstock to compost in two weeks.

Use of Bio-bags (bags that returned and

degrade with the waste they contain) canovercome the Yuck Factor of communityparticipation schemes; odours, slimes etc. orthe need to wash permanent collectionbuckets. A number of biodegradable materialsare available, the most suitable made fromrenewable resources such as GM-freecornstarch. In addition, Bio-bags allowcollected material to breath assisting dryingand settling, avoiding undesirable odours andreducing the contents weight by up to 25%.

Inputs / Outputs

Waste will be taken from two sources:

Organic Kitchen Waste, including foodwaste, meat and bones, collected from curbsides and processed locally

Green garden waste collected, shredded,then delivered to the Compost Station to beprocessed, or diverted from local businessesor civic amenity sites.


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Station operators will mix the collected kitchenwaste, with the equivalent shredded greenwaste.

The PAS100 compost standard can be appliedto the end product of the Rocket process.Each machine will be monitored by PC-linkedtemperature probe to ensure the processcomplies with the Animal By-ProductRegulations.

Scale / Costs

Scale will be affected by population density,local industries, communication andparticipation levels, population age and eatinghabits. Each station will process 3kg of organickitchen waste from a thousand householdsgiving a weekly total of 3,000kg. This wouldbe matched by 3,000kg of high carbon greengarden waste. Direct equipment costs tohandle 8,500 litres (6,000kg) of waste perweek are around 21 25,000.

This is a very clean community based solutionthat demonstrates a full loop and with theRocket under development to increase isprocessing capacity; further economies of scaleand more markets will benefit and develop.

Energy Balance

A 2,333kg per week Rocket Machine usesapprox. 50kW per week to operate giving itrenewable energy options and greencredentials.

Mass Balance

The largest machine will process about 75tonnes of feedstock annually and produceabout 20 tonnes of compost. The Rocketcurrently under-development will increase thiscapacity by a factor of five.

Emissions

There are essentially no emissions to air, water

or land. There is a small amount of steam fromthe Rocket machine that is released into thework area. The project is not expected toproduce any solid residues from the in-vesselprocess. Any small amount of contaminationsuch as plastic, metal or glass can be recycledthrough collection banks located at thecompost stations.

Project Contact Details:Chris Nowell

Waste Audit Company Ltd.Dynamic House22 Foxenden RoadGuildfordSurreyGU1 4DLMobile: 07720 448880Web: www.wasteaudits.co.uk

Project Partners:

Accelerated Compost Ltd



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WH White New Earth System

WH WhiteTechnology type: Composting


Project Description

The project is for the development of a 50,000tonne capacity in-vessel composting facilityemploying the New Earth Technology, which isa dynamic housed windrow aerobic digestion

system. The system will treat unsorted MSWand segregated green and kitchen wastesto the standard required by the AnimalBy-Products Regulations.

The project is based at Poole in Dorset.The input material for the scheme is unsortedMSW. The waste for the plant will come fromthe Dorset Waste Disposal Authorities.The company has operated a plant treating upto 600 tonnes per month since June 2003.

Since applying for the NTDP the company isnow operating on a commercial basis and thetechnology is proven and has been awardedLocal Authority composting contracts throughNew Earth Solutions Ltd. The Poole facility isbeing expanded to 50,000 tonnes per annumcapacity through private investment.


Waste is unloaded into a waste reception area,where the waste is inspected and any largeitems or potential contaminants are removed.The waste is then fed into a shredder. Anover-band magnet removes ferrous metalsfrom the shredder residue.

A screen segregates organics from noneorganics, the over 80mm reject fraction maythen go for further processing to recover morerecyclates. The organic material that passesthrough the screen is sent into one of two firststage digestion halls. The waste is built up intowindrows, which are situated above aerationducts in the floor. One of the halls is filledeach week to form an ABPR batch.

The temperature of the windrow is monitoredconstantly and the rate of aeration iscontrolled automatically to maintain therequired temperatures.

The waste is then passed to a screening area,where the material is screened through a multideck star screen. Water is added to thewindrows from an automatic overheadirrigation system. In order to ensure that all

the material is treated the windrow is turnedthree times in the first 8 days.

After two weeks the initial phase ofcomposting is complete and the material ispassed into the second stage digestion hallsfor a further two weeks.

After this the primary hall is entirely cleanedand disinfected before the next batch ofwaste. In the second stage the temperature ofthe material is monitored and it is still subject


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to suction aeration, irrigation and turningthree times. The waste is then passed into ascreening hall where the material is screened

through a multi deck star screen with magnetsto remove metals and a wind sifter to removeplastic, which is then baled and sent forrecycling.

Inputs / Outputs

For the NTDP the waste input would haveprincipally comprised un-segregated municipalsolid waste (MSW) after prior removal of dry

recyclables through household kerbsiderecycling schemes. Where a sufficient volumeof source separated material can be obtainedto form a composting batch the technologyenables this to be composted at the same timein a separate hall from the mixed wastecomposting. Refuse collection trucks and bulkloaders will deliver the waste.

The main output products are a soil improverproduct, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and

plastics for recycling.

Costs

The overall project cost is in the region of4.4 million.

Energy Balance

The energy input to the process will be52 kWh per tonne of MSW treated.

Mass Balance

An input of 50,000 tonnes of MSW wouldgenerate the following outputs:

Soil improver 9,180 tonnes,Ferrous metals 1,000 tonnes,Non Ferrous metal 500 tonnes, Plastics 2,000 tonnes, Mass loss / energy conversion 19,720 tonnes, Residuals 17,600

Emissions

An assessment of trial facility in Canford by

The Organic Resource Agency showed nomajor emissions issues.

Project Contact Details:Ted BleszynskiWH White plcThe White HouseMagna RoadWimborneDorsetBH21 3AP

Tel: 01202 583700Web: www.newearthsolutions.co.uk



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Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion for the Production

of Biogas using Ohmic Heating Pre-TreatmentC-Tech Innovation Ltd.Technology type: Anaerobic or Aerobic Digestion


Project Description

The project envisages a two-stage anaerobicdigestion (AD) unit with an ohmic heatingpre-treatment section. Two-stage AD can takea wide variety of waste streams and produceelectricity and heat via CHP, and a solid residuewhich can be used as topsoil. Previous

research into ohmic heating has shown itspotential use in pre-treatment of high lignin-cellulosic content solid wastes to reduce theprocessing time and increase biogasproduction in AD.

Biodegradability is dependent on many factors,but one influential inhibitor is the presence oflignin-cellulosic material. Appropriate thermaltreatment can engender autohydrolysis of thismaterial, breaking it down in degradable form.

Ohmic heating offers significant advantages(e.g. energy efficiency, no introduction of

additional water) over conventional thermaltreatments such as steam injection. Previouswork has suggested that the throughput ofdigesters can be increased by a factor of 2-3,which both decreases the size of the units,

and improves the cost benefits.


Bioplexs Portagester anaerobic digestionsystem treats high solid content organic andliquid organic wastes. It has been usedsuccessfully with farmyard and horse stablemanure, dewatered sewage sludge cake, theorganic fraction of municipal solid waste, foodprocessing wastes, non-toxic sewage sludge,farm slurry and beverage processing wastes.

Ohmic heating technology has been usedfor over 20 years for large scale heatingoperations. The technology works by passingmains frequency electricity directly throughthe material to be heated. Heating occursinternally through the materials own electricalresistance so conversion of electricity into heatin the product is near 100% efficient. Ohmic

heating is particularly useful for materials thatare heat sensitive or subject to fouling. It hasbeen licensed to APV for aseptic packaging offood and used by Thames Water to reducepathogen levels in sewage sludge.

Inputs / Outputs

Target streams are source separated refuse orMunicipal Solid Waste / Organic Fraction(MSW/OF), local authority green waste,

catering waste, horse stable manure and othermanures.


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Solid digestate is aerated in a windrow systemand can be used as topsoil. The anaerobicdigester operates in the thermophilic region,

and therefore conforms to EU and DEFRAregulations.

Scale / Costs

The footprint of an 8,000 tpa plant isestimated at 24m by 20m for the liquiddigestion area. The reception area (whichincludes the ohmic heater) is estimated to be20m by 20m.

Direct capital costs for the core ohmic heatingand anaerobic digestion equipment is around550,000.

Energy Balance

The process is a sustainable net energyproducer. A conservative summary energybalance for an 8,000 tpa facility is that a rateof 100kW electrical input (to ohmic pre-

treatment) will yield 135kW electrical outputand 180kW heat via CHP of biogas. The effectof ohmic pre-treatment will be to increaseenergy output from 28,000kWh / 100 tonnesof waste to 56,000 kWh/100 tonnes.

Mass Balance

The total diversion from landfill is dependenton the content of non-biodegradable material(e.g. bottles, plastics etc.), the energy produced(i.e. the production of methane in the biogas),and the final solid material that can be used onland. From earlier experience there is a volumereduction of 50 to 70%, with 10 15% ofplastics, metals and other reject materials.

The volume production of biogas is 60 120m3 per tonne of feed, with a content ofbetween 55 65% methane.

Emissions

There are no hazardous pollution risks.

Odours from raw materials handling andpre-processing will be mitigated by continuoususe of the reception area headspace as CHPintake air. Simple carbon filter extraction fanswill be used to clean maturation (windrow) airprior to discharge. The combustion product ofCHP is carbon dioxide, however the process iscarbon neutral, since the biodegradable wasteis derived predominantly from carboncapturing plant-life.

Project Contact Details:David GardnerC-Tech Innovation LtdCapenhurst Technology ParkCapenhurstChesterCH1 6EHTel: 0151 347 2900Fax: 0151 347 2901Email: [email protected]

Project Partners:Bioplex Ltd.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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The Cary Moor Anaerobic Digestion Plant

Organic Power Ltd.Technology type: Anaerobic or Aerobic Digestion


Project Description

The Organic Power project uses anaerobicdigestion to process organic waste. The

company is working with Somerset CountyCouncil and the intention was to secure thefirst fully commercial plant at the WyvernWaste Services Ltd. site known as Dimmernear Castle Cary in Somerset. This will notnow be the first commercial plant and anothersite has now been chosen. It was proposedthat the plant at Dimmer would divertapproximately 15,000 tonnes of BMW fromlandfill. Future, larger plants are expectedwhich would have a significant impact on thevolume of BMW that can be diverted fromlandfill. In addition, it may be possible usingthis project to develop methods to reduce theretention time and so significantly increase thetonnages that can be processed in this size ofMaltin System plant and so diverted fromlandfill.


Organic Powers technology is based on theMaltin System for which worldwide patents

have been granted. A wide range of organicwastes, including domestic waste, landfillleachate, slaughterhouse or dairy producteffluents and energy crops can becontinuously processed using a combination ofaerobic and anaerobic digestion in a sealedsystem with no emissions.

A fundamental part of the Maltin System isthe shape of the tanks in which the aerobicand anaerobic digestion takes place. Thisshape is that assumed by a strip of relativelystiff material when its ends are rotated inopposite directions and then held together.Fitting two flat ends on to this minimumenergy shape creates the form of the tankswhich are the basis for the Maltin System.Bubbling gas or air up from along the central

cusp inside a tank of this shape will cause theliquid contents to rise vertically from thecentreline of the tank and then to form twoopposing circulation patterns, beingconstrained only by the minimum energy curveof the tank walls with no paddles or baffles orcorners where material may get stuck.

At the centre of each flow pattern is an eyein the circulation path and by adding liquid at

this point, the circulation patterns are hardlyaffected. Similarly, treated material can beremoved from the corresponding eye at theother end and in the other half of the tank.

A continuous process can be maintained withfeedstock passing slowly through the tank.This results in the combination of a plug flowwith very efficient mixing of the contents andhence complete digestion.

The feedstock flows through a series ofsimilarly shaped tanks, until it becomes fully


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treated digestate without the possibility of anypartially treated material by-passing thesystem.

Putting these tanks into an insulated lagoon ofclean warm water, to balance the hydrostaticpressures and to provide a stable temperature,gives the practical solution to organic wastetreatment. It also results in a very low overallenvironmental and visual impact.

Inputs / Outputs

The waste stream will be source separatedorganic fraction of household waste collectedby ECT Recycling. ECT operates a number ofhousehold waste collection schemes and haveintroduced systems whereby householdkitchen waste is source separated from thegeneral MSW collections. It is intended thatthe collection vehicles will be powered by therenewable natural gas produced by theprocess, as are other Organic Power vehicles.

Outputs from the plant are methane and CO2gas, a fibrous compost, and clean solid andliquid fertilisers. The methane gas output isapproximately 97% pure methane after CO2separation and this can be sold as gas forheating or cooling, or for use as a vehicle fuelor to generate renewable electricity The CO2can be used for enhancing greenhouse cropgrowth, in carbonated drinks, for thepreparation of decaffeinated coffee and in itssupercritical form as a solvent, particularly inthe electronics industry. Organic Power areworking to commercialise the process ofconverting the fibrous output into a woodsubstitute using the CO2 in supercritical formas part of the process.

Scale / Costs

The overall cost of building the firstcommercial plant is in the region of

3.5 million.

Energy Balance

The total energy saved and generated from

using the plant will be in the region of 4.5million kWh.

Emissions

As the system is totally enclosed there are noemissions to air. Any emissions from the headspace above storage tanks and during loadingand unloading are vented via a combination ofwater scrubbing and natural biofilters.

Project Contact Details:Organic Power LtdGoulds HouseHorsingtonSomersetBA8 0EWFax: 01963 371 300Email: [email protected]

Project Partners:

Maltin Pollution Control Systems (1967) Ltd,Advanced Recycling Technologies Ltd,Somerset County Council, ECT Recycling &Wyvern Waste Services



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The IWI RAD (Rotary Aerobic Digester) System

IWI (UK) PlcTechnology type: In Vessel Digestion


Project Description

The aim of this project is to process theresidual waste fraction of MSW using aerobicdigestion into a fuel known as green coal. Thesystem would be capable of treating 23,000tonnes of BMW per annum although thesystem is modular and can therefore bedesigned to process significantly greatertonnages.

The planned location for the project is the Isleof Wight and the feedstock for the plantwould be separated and principallybiodegradable waste supplied by IWS.

The project would involve conductingstructured trials of the RAD process to

ascertain the optimum operating parametersand the requisite process data. Detailedanalyses of the green coal fuel will also beundertaken to identify its ability to meet thespecification of industrial users.


The object of the RAD System is to produce ahomogeneous, consistent fuel source withincreased net calorific value (through the

reduction of moisture content). This isachieved by initially shredding the waste to adefined size. The waste is mixed then suppliedto a Rotary Aerobic Digester (RAD). TheRAD is a slowly rotating, inclined, aerateddrum where the biodegradable fraction isstabilized by microbial composting activity.The biodegradable fraction typically contains40-60% moisture and provides a suitableenvironment for the microbial degradation

process. Other residual organic sludges andwastes (e.g. sewage sludge and green waste)

may also be added and treated in the RADwith the compostable fraction of MSW toenhance the rapid breakdown of organicmatter by adjusting the moisture and nitrogenstatus of the feedstock. Moisture is vaporisedwithout applying an external heat source dueto the production of metabolically generated

heat by the natural composting process, whichcan increase the temperature of thecomposting material to 65 70 degrees.

Moisture is extracted by mechanical agitationand a forced counter current circulation fanand the quantity removed will vary between20 30% by weight depending on theorganic composition and other processparameters, such as particle size of material,speed of digester rotation and air flow. The

thermophilic temperature conditions alsoeffectively pasteurise the product inactivatingpotentially harmful, infectious pathogens thatmay be present in the waste. Therefore theprocess will enable compliance with Animalby-Products Regulations. The average retentiontime in the drum is 48 hrs and the product canbe processed through a pelletiser to producegreen coal, which is a consistent,homogeneous and stable fuel.

Inputs / Outputs

Annually this plant would process approximately22,500 tonnes of input waste and create atleast 13,000 tonnes of green coal.

Green coal will be a suitable fuel source forcement kilns and potentially power plants aswell as producing a consistent feedstock foradvanced thermal processes.


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Scale / Costs

The capital cost of the required plant is in the

region of 2.5 million.

Energy Balance

IWI believe that green coal derived fromUK municipal solid waste will have relativelystable calorific values between 12-14 MJ/kg at25-30% moisture.

Based on an input tonnage of 22,500 tonnes,The RAD plant would use around 690,000

KWe and produce approximitly13,000 tonnesof green coal with a CV of 13MJ. If combustedin a conventional waste combustion system togenerate steam and electricity, approximately9,000 MW of electrical power per annumwould be generated, assuming an electricalgeneration efficiency of 19%.

Mass Balance

It is expected that around 90% of MSW wouldbe suitable for processing into fuel. Theremainder consisting of recycled metals and aproportion of rejects from the front endprocessing plant.

Emissions

The process emissions are dealt with via a biofilter. Past experience indicates that theemissions will comprise principally water vapor

and carbon dioxide.

The burning of green coal will produce verylow levels of Sulphur and Chlorine and afraction of that occurring through the burningof coal.

Project Contact Details:Andrew HamiltonIWI (Holdings) Limited

Suite 1Fifth Floor25 Sackville StreetLondonW15 3EJ



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Myerscough College Anaerobic Digestion System

Myerscough CollegeTechnology type: In-Vessel Digestion


Project Description

The project will be based atMyerscough College, nearPreston and utilisesanaerobic digestion toprocess waste materials.The estate at Myerscoughconsists of land owned bythe College and some thatis rented from the Duchy ofLancaster.

Three potential sites to build the digestionplant have been identified, each of which island owned by the College. Each of these siteshas relative merits; however, one site, situatedclosely to a recently constructed Sewage

Treatment Plant, the Horticultural Unit andpotential trials field, is particularly favouredpresently. The project will be based on thefringe between rural and urban areas.

The overall viability of the system as acommercial venture will depend heavily uponthe way in which the installation is operatedand waste streams processed and used from afinancial perspective. A key element of theproject is having a clearly defined commercial

aspect at all stages: if not commercially viable,the system will not become one that is utilisedby others in the market.


The project will use an anaerobic digester toprocess biological municipal waste togetherwith other typical organic wastes which willhave a value for use on land. These other

wastes can include blood, catering wasteincluding meat products and other food

industry waste such as potato waste. Theproject will involve a life cycle assessment(LCA) of the process and examine all carbonand nitrogen inputs and outputs in addition totracking all energy requirements of theprocess.

In the processing of the material to render thepathogens benign, carbon is released butcaptured as methane, which is utilised as anenergy source for further driving the processor for resale as an off-site resource. Thisreduces greenhouse gas emissions. Most ofthe nitrogen within the waste will be retainedduring the processing and subsequently beused on the land with its balance measuredduring crop uptake.

Inputs / Outputs

The planned system would be capable ofhandling around 5,000 tonnes of wasteannually. The waste streams that theequipment could process include the organicfraction of MSW, blood, meat, catering wasteand other food industry residues.

The marketable outputs of the project are

essentially a fertiliser material and methanegas, which can be used as an energy source.

Scale / Costs

Total project costs are in the region of3,250,000


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Energy Balance

The project would involve a detailed appraisal

of the energy requirements of the equipment.Through-out the operation of the plant keyfactors will be monitored to give an overallenergy balance for the scheme.

Emissions

No residue streams exist and the only potentialemissions are the release of various gaseousnitrogen compounds such as nitrous oxide.

Project Contact Details:Mr Allan NicksonMyerscough CollegeMyerscough HallBilsborrowPrestonLancashirePR3 0RYTel: 01995 642296Email: [email protected]

Web: www.myerscough.ac.uk

Project Partners:Landmark Environmental



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South Shropshire Biowaste Digester

Greenfinch Ltd. & South Shropshire District CouncilTechnology type: In-Vessel Digestion


Project Description

The aim of this project is to use anaerobicdigestion to treat source separated kitchenand garden waste. The project will be basedon industrial estate in Ludlow, Shropshire. Thedemonstrator plant will be capable of handling5,000 tonnes of waste annually.

The council has a well developed plan for thecollection of kitchen and garden wastecovering 60% of the households in thedistrict. The project partners, Greenfinch Ltd,

have developed a number of anaerobicdigestion facilities including seven on-farmbiogas plants in Scotland.


The key components of the process for recyclinghousehold kitchen and garden waste are:

Waste reception, which is inside a buildingwith air emissions controlled by a biofilter;

Mechanical waste conditioning, withprimary shredding;

Digester feedstock homogenisation, withsecondary shredding;

Digester feedstock buffer storage, to allowfor 5-day delivery of feedstock;

Mesophilic anaerobic digestion (37C), acontinuous process in a fully-mixed tank;

Pasteurisation (70C for one hour), a strictlybatch process with zero by-pass;

Fibre separation, to separate particles largerthan 500m for use as a soil conditioner;

Liquid biofertiliser storage, in a sealed tankawaiting transport to a local farm;

Biogas storage;

CHP unit, to produce renewable electricityfor the grid, process heat and district

heating; Heat exchange units;

Pumping systems;

Biofilter system; and

Instrumentation and controls

Inputs / Outputs

The input material will be 5,000 tonnes of

source separated organic waste.

The outputs from the project will be electricity,heat and a fertiliser material that will initiallybe given to local farmers.

Scale / Costs

The capital cost, including civil works of thecomplete plant is 1.4 million plus the costs ofa visitor centre estimated at 0.4million. Overand above this is a grant towards operating,monitoring and research in the first two years.


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Energy Balance

The gross annual electricity production is

estimated to be 1,615,000 kWh with processplant consumption of 125,000 kWh, giving anet output of 1,490,000 kWh. The electricitywill qualify for renewable obligationcertificates.

The gross annual heat production is estimatedto be 2,690,000 kWh with process plantconsumption of 500,000 kWh, giving a netoutput of 2,190,000 kWh.

Mass Balance

The mass balance of the project is theconversion of 5,000 tonnes per year ofbiowaste plus 200 tonnes per year of wash-water into 4,320 tonnes per year of biofertiliserand 880 tonnes per year of biogas.

Emissions

The only air emissions are the exhaust gasfrom the CHP unit and the filtered air fromthe biofilter.

Project Contact Details:Michael ChesshireGreenfinch LtdThe Business ParkCoder RoadLudlowShropshire

SY8 1XETel: 01584 877687Fax: 01584 878131Email: [email protected]: www.greenfinch.co.uk



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Community Organic Recycling: CORe Plant

Southwark Biogas PartnershipTechnology type: In-Vessel Digestion


Project Description

The CORe project will use anaerobic digestionto process source separated organic / kitchenwaste. The collection points for the wasteinclude high and low rise flats, street levelproperties, school meal collections and amarket. A total of around 2,500 tonnes will becollected for the plant.

The site will use anaerobic digestiontechnology, which has been developed byGreenfinch Ltd at their Ludlow site.

The plant is intended to be in operation for aminimum of ten years. The plant would thencontinue to act as a demonstrator because ofits location next to the planned SouthwarkEnvironmental Futures Centre. The CORe plantwill be specifically designed for visits and studyand there will be facilities for training at theEnvironmental Futures Centre.


The plant will be based on operations at theLudlow site where kitchen waste was deliveredon five days a week to the biogas plant. It wasthen shredded, homogenised, pasteurised anddigested, with the biogas used for greenhouseheating. Following six years of research,Greenfinch has developed an innovativedesign of biogas plant for the recycling ofcatering waste and other Animal By-productsRegulations category 3 materials.

From research carried out and from visits toEurope, there do not seem to be any examplesof pure source separated household wastedigestion in densely populated urban area.Therefore the CORe plant is innovative and will

provide useful information for futuredevelopments.

Inputs / Outputs

The input waste for the project will be sourceseparated kitchen waste.

The outputs will be a fertiliser, which can beused for improving soil quality. Additionally,the CHP unit will generate electricity and heat.

Scale / Costs

The total capital cost of the project includingthe purchase of vehicles and CHP plant wouldbe in the region of 975,000.


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Energy Balance

The figures below show the overall electricity

balance for the plant:Gross Output 735 MWh/yrPlant Consumption 70 MWh/yrNet Output 665 MWh/yr

The figures for heat produced by the plant are:

Gross Output 1,225 MWh/yrPlant Consumption 270 MWh/yrNet Output 955 MWh/yr

Mass Balance

It is expected that from 2,500 tonnes oforganic waste the plant will output around2,000 tonnes of fertiliser.

Emissions

The only gaseous emission from CORe is CO2from the CHP engine, however this is in theform of a release of previously sequestratedCO2. If the greenhouses or poly-tunnels,currently in use on the site, were supplied withsome of the CO2 to stimulate plant growth,emissions could be reduced further.

Project Contact Details:David Collins 07973 111 972 orChris Dunham 07904267306Web: www.rutherfordrenewables.co.uk

Project Partners:London Borough of Southwark, SustainableEnergy Action, Greenfinch Ltd, RutherfordCollins Ltd, Community Re-cycling organisation



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H.E.BIO.T. High Efficiency Biological Technology

Entsorga S.r.l.Technology type: Mechanical Biological Treatment


Project Description

The project proposes to demonstrate the

flexibility of the Entsorga High EfficiencyBiological Treatment (HEBIOT) technology totreat a wide range of waste inputs andaccommodate changes in the wastecomposition over time. Objectives are to showhow this technology is able to produce acontribution to recycling, a Solid RecoveredFuel (SRF) to specification, and significantlydivert Biological Municipal Waste (BMW) fromlandfill.


The technology is a reverse air flow threestage Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT).Residual MSW or source segregated organicwaste will be biostabilised or biodried andthen further refined to generate a range ofstreams suitable for recycling and energyrecovery. The technology is operating in Italyfor source separated MSW. A new air emissioncleaning system is also being developed that isexpected to show some advantages comparedto other systems.

Inputs / Outputs

The facility is designed to provide considerableflexibility, the input material can either beresidual MSW, currently sent to landfill orsource separated organic waste (green andkitchen). Yields of various outputs (e.g.calorific value of SRF, moisture and solidscontent) are calculated using an input/outputmodelling tool enabling users to estimate thelevel of recycling, recovery and BMW.

Two main modes of operation will beconsidered with different objectives andoutputs. In biodrying mode the waste isstabilised and dried as rapidly as possible inorder to produce an SRF to a relevant (CEN orcustomer specific) standard, maximising the

energy content of the SRF. There is potentiallystrong interest is using the SRF as analternative to fossil fuels, for example in thecement industry. In biostabilisation mode, usedin the event that an immediate SRF marketoutlet cannot be organised, there will be alonger and slower aerobic treatment phase inorder to extend the reduction of active organicmaterial and increase BMW diversion.

In addition to SRF it is anticipated that the

primary and secondary mechanical treatmentstages will give rise to quantities of recyclatesand other recoverables: paper / cardboard,textiles / wood, plastic / rubber at the primarystage, ferrous metals, aluminium, fines andinerts at the secondary stage, depending onthe needs of the user.

Plant at Vazzano, Southern Italy


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Scale / Costs

A single facility has a capacity in the range of

50,000 to 80,000tpa (multiple units can beused for higher capacities) residual MSW andwill be able to divert up to 50% of thematerial as SRF for energy recovery. BMWreduction will depend upon cycle times andwaste input but significant reduction can beexpected.

The minimum footprint required isapproximately 10,000m2. Approximate capitalproject costs are between 7.8 and 11m

depending upon mode of operation andspecification of the output materials.

Energy Balance

If the SRF is used in a thermal process there isa positive energy balance: for each tonne ofMSW treated, 500kg of SRF is produced at a(minimum) energy content of 15MJ/kg giving atotal energy content of 2400kWh.

Mass Balance

For a typical residual MSW waste stream,50% of the mass is lost through the bio-dryingprocess and recovery activity leaving 50% as asolid recovered fuel (SRF); practically 100%diversion of BMW occurs when using this in athermal plant. In biostabilisation mode the levelof BMW diversion depends upon the inputlevel and time for treatment, very low levels are

achievable.

Emissions

Typically a biofilter is used for cleaning all theemissions. Alternatively, an innovative lowenergy consumption ceramic / catalyticemission control system Phoenix is beingdeveloped to provide improved emissioncontrol, particularly of VOCs, in comparison tobiofilters and thermal oxidisers. Typicaloperating performance parameters for theEntsorga Phoenix system are less than 300

OU/m3 of odours, non-detectable amounts ofammonia and hydrogen sulphide and less than15 mg/m3 VOCs. Small amounts (c.a. 5 tpa) of

non-hazardous inert residues will accrue fromdisposal of spent catalyst from the Phoenixsystem.

Project Contact Details:Dr. Daryl HillRutland House30 Greencroft GardensLondonNW6 3LT

Tel: 07768 810 814Fax: 020 73720765Email: [email protected]: www.entsorga.it/entsorga/eng/about.asp

Project Partners:Hills Waste Management, Wiltshire CC Entec



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The ArrowBio Process

Oaktech EnvironmentalTechnology type: Mechanical Biological Treatment / Anaerobic Digestion


Project Description

The ArrowBio system is an MBT-anaerobicdigestion process that uses a water separationsystem to divide waste. The project plan was totake waste generated in Epping to the facilityin Thurrock. The Thurrock site is in an industrialarea and has jetty access to the River Thames.

The initial capacity of the plant is 45,000 tonnesof MSW per annum, but the plant capacitycould be increased to 70,000 tpa once theprocess has been optimised. A plant using thesame technology is already in use in Tel Aviv.


The waste goes through two processing

stages, physical and biological. Firstly theMSW is tipped into a tank of circulating water.The water in the tank allows the gravitationalseparation of non-biodegradable andbiodegradable wastes. Items that sink in thewater are passed sequentially through a bagbreaker, a magnetic pick up, eddy currentseparators and an air separation system.These processes remove the metals and plasticfilm from the waste stream. These can then be

sent for recycling.

The water prepares the biodegradable itemsfor the anaerobic digestion stage, byabsorbing soluble substances. At this stage thewaste material is an organic rich finesuspension. The addition of water to thewaste also suppresses dust and odours.

In the biological phase the plant uses adigestion method known as Upflow Anaerobic

Sludge Blanket (UASB) digestion, which is a

technology used extensively for the treatmentof high strength liquid wastes and municipalsewage treatment. The system uses two bio-reaction tanks. In the first tank easilymetabolised substances are fermented intoacetic acid. The solution is then passed to thesecond reactor where methane is generated.

In the UASB bioreactor, solid organic matter issuspended in a layer near the surface of thewater in the vessel where up to 80% of it isconverted to biogas and water over a periodof 80 days. The biogas is extracted to feedpower generators and the water is returned tothe gravitational tank at the beginning of thephysical separation process. The remaining20% of solid organic waste which does notbreak down into biogas and water can be

skimmed off and fed into a pasteurisation unitwhere it is heated to a temperature to meetEC Regulation No 1774/2002 before beingeither used as a soil amendment product orbeing dewatered and sent with the wasteplastic for conversion into fibre polymercomposites.

Inputs / Outputs

The input material for the plant will beunsorted MSW. The initial capacity for theplant would be 45,000 tonnes per annum.

Plastics and metals are separated from theMSW. The main outputs of the project will bewater, an organic soil conditioner and biogasfor electricity generation.

Scale / Costs

The total value of the project is 12.2 million.


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Energy Balance

To process 1,000 tonnes of MSW the plant will

require around 55 MWh of electricity. Thisamount of waste should generate 140 tonnesof biogas, enough to generate 323 MWh ofelectricity. Additionally, around 675 MWh ofexhaust heat will be recovered to dry residualsand plastics.

Mass Balance

Estimated volumes of primary outputs

3,600 tonnes per year of mixed recycledplastic

1,710 tonnes of ferrous metal.

2,160 tonnes of glass.

405 tonnes of non-ferrous metal.

About 1.5-2 MW (approx 10,000 MWh)electricity (net, after self-use and assuminggenerators are purchased) generated frombiogas

About 4500 tonnes of cleaned water

About 4500 tonnes of soil amendment to BSIPAS 100 profile standards

Emissions

The process of adding the waste to watermeans that any potential odour and dustproblems are removed.

Project Contact Details:Alex MarshallThe Flint Glass Works

64 Jersey StreetAncoats Urban VillageManchesterM4 6JWTel: 0161 605 0802Web: www.oaktech-environmental.com

Project Partners:Waterman Group,South Herts Waste Management Ltd,

Industrial Chemical Group Ltd



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Organic Resource Technologies LtdTechnology type: Mechanical Biological Treatment


Project Description

This technology has two distinct elements, thefirst is a waste sorting facility that separatesrecyclable and organic material from a mixedwaste stream delivered to the facility. Thesecond uses three bioconversion vessels toprocess the organic material removed from themixed waste using the DiCOM process, whichhas been patented by Organic ResourceTechnologies Limited, a subsidiary of ORTLimited (ORT).

ORT is based in Western Australia and hasdeveloped a prototype plant in Perth.


The planned site is split into two parts; asorting plant and an in-vessel bioconversionsystem.

The elements of the sorting system arebased upon rapid mechanical separationincorporating trommel homogenisation,pulverisation, screening and subsequentprocessing of component fractions. Ferrousand non-ferrous metals are removed usingmagnetic and eddy-current separation, and

glass and grit is removed from the organicfraction in a wet separation process, prior tobioconversion.

ORT has developed a design for a WasteSorting Facility comprising two independent,parallel sorting trains incorporating a sharedreception area with a capacity of 100,000tpaMSW. The facility can be developed in stages,with initial capacity of 50,000tpa MSW.

The organic fraction of the waste is thenpassed on to the DiCOM bioconversionprocess. The aim of this process is to generatea net energy surplus and a stable, agriculturalgrade compost from a bioconversion processoccurring in a single vessel. Trials havesuccessfully treated materials such as MSW

organics (from multi-bin and single bincollection systems), as well as blends of otherorganic materials.

DiCOM is a batch process that operatescontinuously using a sequencing methodcomprising three vessels. The processintegrates the natural aerobic and anaerobicbioconversion cycles at the biological, ratherthan infrastructure or logistical level. Thisintegration creates a new process with a

unique set of biological conditions for themicroorganisms, resulting in acceleratedbioconversion of organic material to stabilisedcompost, together with a period of biogasproduction.

Processing time includes 5 days for loadingeach vessel, followed by 14 days of biologicaltreatment. Once loaded, the material remainsin the vessel until the end of the process.

At the end of the cycle, the material requiresno further maturation or biological processing.

The process produces a net energy surplus, inthe form of biogas and heat. The biogas isconverted to electricity using standard powergenerating equipment.


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The DiCOM Processing Sequence:

After separation, homogenized and pulverized

organic material is loaded into the vessel over5 days. During loading, the material undergoescontrolled aeration resulting in biological heatgeneration. Once loading is complete, theanaerobic process is established with theaddition of carefully regulated anaerobicinoculum. The inoculum is already warm, beingderived from one of the other vessels havingjust completed the anaerobic phase of its batchprocess. The anaerobic phase is thermophilic(>55C), and has a duration of 7 days.

When the anaerobic phase is complete, theinoculum is drained and supplied to the nextvessel, and the final aerobic conditioningphase is initiated.

The control system is fully automated. Sensorsmonitor the conditions within each vessel, setand vary the flow of air and water, therebyregulating moisture levels, temperature,pressure, oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane,as well as odour generation and control.

Overall batch cycle time is 21 days. Continuousprocessing therefore requires three identicalbioreactor vessels, operated concurrently, eachone week out of phase with the next.

Energy Balance

The process is a net energy producer. Sufficient

biogas is produced within the process to meetplant energy requirements, and surplus energycan be either sold under an off-takeagreement to an external energy user, or usedfor value adding of the composted biomassfraction.

Mass Balance

For every 100 tonnes of MSW received the

process will produce*:

3.4 tonnes of dry recyclables, 23.2 tonnes ofnon-recyclables, 12.7 tonnes of glass / grit,69.1 tonnes of compost (with added water),4.3 MWe of electricity available for export tothe grid

* Subject to variation with MSW composition; figures

based on MSW data from Perth, Western Australia.

Emissions

The process occurs inside a sealed, lightpressure-vessel, and therefore all possibleemissions can be controlled and treated priorto release to the atmosphere. This is especiallyimportant when dealing with highlyputrescible wastes. The sealed vessel eliminatesthe risk of accidental emissions. The processutilises a unique odour control system that canremove over 94% of odorous compounds.

Project Contact Details:Thomas RudasORT LimitedSuite 114 Queen StreetBentley Business CentreBentleyWestern Australia, 6102Tel: +61 8 9358 5444

Fax: +61 8 9451 1889Web: www.ort.com.au



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The reCulture Process

reCulture Engineering ABTechnology type: Mechanical Biological Treatment


Project Description

The reCulture process involves separating MSWusing a complex Materials Recycling Facility(MRF). The proposed plant would sorthousehold waste from the Local Autority intovarious waste streams. A suitable site for thedevelopment has been identified.

The main output would be a refuse derivedfuel, which could be burnt for power or heat.Additionally, metals and heavy plastics wouldbe collected for recycling. The plant is based ona similar trial facility in Sweden. Salts and heavymetals are removed.


The waste is delivered to the site and iscollected in a reception area. The waste is thentransported to a dissolving tank, which is filledwith water. The process developed byreCulture for the refining of household wasteto a clean and effective fuel is based on thetechnique used in the recovery of cellulosefibre from recycled paper. Hot water is used asa medium to dissolve the material in thewaste, to divide it into its constituentmaterials, and to transport it. At its least

concentrated, the slurry is 1 per cent wasteand 99 per cent water.

Dense materials such as metals and aggregatesare collected from the bottom of the dissolvingtank for recycling. The lighter fraction of thewaste is collected from the top of the tankand is sent on for de-watering and drying.The water displaced from the waste is thensent to a water purification system.

The reCulture process is closed and worksunder low, sub-atmospheric pressure in orderto avoid leakage of environmentally hazardoussubstances. Machinery and storage tanks areencased in an airtight system. All process airand other gas passes through an advancedpurification system, as does the water used in

the process. Because of the water content inthe waste, the process results in a watersurplus, which is purified and bled into thedissolving tank.

Inputs / Outputs

The plant would be capable of handling aminimum of 50,000 tonnes of MSW perannum. This will be processed to produce arefuse derived fuel, metals, plastics and a

filling material, with less than 1% to belandfilled.

Scale / Costs

The total investment for the project is in theregion of 17 million including CHP plant.

Energy Balance

The energy value, per tonne of dry substancefuel, has been found to be about 5.7 MWh.This makes the fuel ideal for use in heatand/or electricity generation.


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Mass Balance

From each tonne of waste the following

products will be generated: Fuel 620 kg

Filling material 150 kg

Metals 20 kg

Water 197 kg

Plastics 8 kg

Residuals 5 kg, i.e. less than 1% to belandfilled

Emissions

The processing system is held within a lowpressure area and all air emissions go throughan air purification system.

Project Contact Details:Gordon DuffyAvenor International LLP17A/2 West Crosscauseway

EdinburghEH8 9JWTel: 0131 668 1536Email: [email protected]

Project Partners:Thirdwave (Scotland) LtdPEC Karlstaad & Avenor International LLP



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Solid Recovered Fuel Production Plant, Materials

Recovery Facility and Energy GenerationBronzeoak Ltd.Technology type: Thermal Treatment


Project Description

The project will divert 100,000t of mixedmunicipal waste from landfill, recycling sterileproduct and using solid recovered fuel (SRF) to

generate up to 6MW (gross) of electricity.Linked demonstrator plants will processmunicipal waste by autoclaving, extractingsaleable recyclables, and using the resultingSRF in an adjacent CHP pyrolysis generator.The project aims to divert from landfill (90%)and recover value by processing thebiodegradable fraction into SRF (65%), andrecyclable inorganics (25%). The pyrolysisprocess also produces an ash (10%), whichcan be vitrified for recycling.


The Bronzeoak Group has been developingrenewable energy and waste to energy plantsfor the last 10 years including extensive projectexperience in South-East Asia. Autoclavingmixed waste is a near-market technologywhich has been successfully trialled with MSW,but requires extended evaluation with SRF,post-treatment sorting, and energy recovery atthe point of diversion.

Inputs / Outputs

The plant will be supplied with mixed wastepresently sent to landfill and a HouseholdWaste Recycling Centre. Municipal Solid Waste(MSW) with a substantial biodegradablefraction (65%) will be received, discharged toa reception area, and pre-sorted to remove

outsize items.

During the demonstration stage the autoclavewill produce 750t/week (39,000t/year) of SRF,plus about 500t/wk of recyclables, and the SRFwill be used to generate 6MW gross electricityplus heat. In addition to SRF, principal output

materials will be textiles, plastics, glass cullet,ferrous and non-ferrous metals, aggregateand, subject to the outcome of engineeringstudies, vitrified ash. The quantities of allrecyclates will vary according to season.

Scal

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New Technologies Demonstrator Programme