The UK’s first demonstrator food waste anaerobic digestion (AD) plant, owned by Shropshire Council and operated by AD specialists, Biogen (formerly Biogen Greenfinch), will cease operations at Coder Road, Ludlow, by the end of the year.
The 5,000 tonnes per annum Biocycle plant has been running for six years and was first set up with financing from Defra and Advantage West Midlands in 2005 to demonstrate food waste processing. The non-commercial plant will start winding down operations in September, with the expectation of full closure to be completed by the end of the year.
Richard Barker, Biogen's Chief Executive, said: "The Biocycle plant has fully delivered on its original objectives and we are proud and grateful to have been a part of the groundbreaking journey. The plant has contributed to extensive research into AD technology of food waste, thus benefiting the entire AD industry.
“As a demonstration plant, the site has received over a thousand visitors and has helped to educate the general public, students and numerous interest groups about the benefits of anaerobic digestion. "
Barker went on to add that the company has now invested in three pilot-scale digestors as part of their Research & Development activities in Ludlow.
“We’ve had a long and happy relationship with Biogen”, said Mark Foxall, Policy and Development Manager at Shropshire Council.
“Now that this relationship is coming to an end, we will not be tearing down the plant or closing it down indefinitely, but it will be out of commission until we find an alternative party (or parties) that may be interested in operating it – either by purchase, lease-hold or in another joint venture.
“The plant is currently permitted to process 5,000 tonnes of waste per annum, but it has the potential to do more than that”, Foxall added.
After receiving funding from WRAP in 2010, a food waste service that ran across three Shropshire towns (Ludlow, Craven Arms, Church Stretton) was later cut as part of reforms to save Shropshire Council up to £225,000 a year. Shropshire council has not sent any plant or food waste to the facility for several years, and, as there was “never enough food waste to reach capacity”, the plant had been taking in waste from external contracts. These will now be outsourced to other AD plants, once the Biocycle facility closes.
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