Staffordshire anaerobic digestion plant receives capital grant from WRAP
Lower Reule Bioenergy Ltd is one of the first anaerobic digestion (AD) businesses in England to be awarded funding under WRAP’s (Waste & Resources Action Programme) organics capital grant scheme.
The AD plant, which will be located near Gnosall, Staffordshire is currently under construction. When completed (in late 2010) it will divert more than 30,000 tonnes of food waste a year from landfill, reduce methane emissions from decomposing food and generate enough renewable electricity to supply more than 1,300 homes.
The facility will also produce a nutrient rich bio-fertiliser that will be used to replace conventional fertilisers and soil conditioners, which are manufactured using fossil fuels.
WRAP’s capital grant scheme is designed to help increase the amount of capacity in England for diverting food waste from landfill and recycle it into useful products. It provides grants to businesses setting up new plants, or expanding their existing facilities. WRAP also provides further support to recycling businesses through regional business advice, support in securing loans, leases for equipment and management training.
Dr Richard Swannell, Director of Retail & Organics Programmes at WRAP said “We’re very pleased to be supporting Lower Reule Bioenergy. This new plant will be providing renewable energy and a valuable resource to local agriculture as well as diverting food waste away from landfill where it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. It will help both local authorities and businesses in recycling their food waste, reducing their environmental impact and potentially reducing costs.”
Ian Critchley, Managing Director of Lower Reule Bioenergy, said “We are delighted to receive this funding from WRAP and extremely proud to be involved in such a sustainable enterprise. The Staffordshire plant will be able to receive its first deliveries of food waste from local authority household food recycling schemes, food producers, manufacturers and supermarkets from January 2010 – diverting significant quantities of this valuable resource from landfill every year. The electricity will supply local homes and businesses and the heat will be reused in our strawberry tunnels to increase local food production yields, as well as other innovative emerging technologies”.
Editor's notes
- WRAP helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change.
- Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Working in seven key areas (Construction, Retail, Manufacturing, Organics, Business Growth, Behavioural Change, and Local Authority Support), WRAP’s work focuses on market development and support to drive forward recycling and materials resource efficiency within these sectors, as well as wider communications and awareness activities including the multi-media national Recycle Now campaign for England.
- More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found on www.wrap.org.uk