Inetec to create energy from Greencore food waste

An Inetec product story

Edited by the Processingtalk editorial team Feb 16, 2006

Inetec and its partners have been chosen by Greencore Group to provide a solution to dispose of food waste and packaging contaminated with food residue in an environmentally sustainable way

Inetec and its partners have been chosen by Greencore Group to provide a solution to dispose of food waste and packaging contaminated with food residue in an environmentally sustainable way.

Greencore Group is one of the UK's leading producers of convenience foods and is the first food manufacturer to take up capacity in a series of food waste-to-energy plants to be built across the UK.

This pioneering project has attracted some GBP60 million of investment to build Phase 1 - the first four processing facilities.

This break-through venture establishes the Inetec process as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to landfill with the added benefit of generating renewable energy.

The Inetec technology converts the food waste and packaging into a stable biofuel.

The biofuel is converted into gas, using plant developed by GEM technologies.

The gas produced is converted into renewable electricity for the National Grid by NEL Power, another project partner.

The power generation from Greencore food waste and contaminated packaging will be in the region of 10-12 MW, providing enough electricity for 15,000 homes.

The project, in which Inetec is the lead partner, represents a significant increase in the market capacity for food waste disposal, in particular food and packaging contaminated with raw animal by-products.

Phil Nicholas, Inetec Managing Director, said "We are building an infrastructure of facilities that will play a crucial role in addressing the current problems associated with food waste disposal and the generation of renewable energy".

"The waste from Greencore is an important enabler.

We will also be offering this service to other leading participants in the food retailing and processing sectors".

The first facility is due to commence operations by April next year, with the ultimate goal to establish a network of plants across the UK.

The scheme offers a level of protection against rising landfill costs.

It also complies with EU Landfill Directive aims to divert bio-degradable waste from landfill.

The first four plants will divert some 400 tonnes per day of food waste with scope to extend.

A similar amount of food-contaminated packaging will also be diverted from landfill.

Commenting on the project Greencore Group COO, Tony Hynes said, "Over recent years we have re-doubled our efforts to reduce overall waste and recycle materials wherever possible.

However, this is an enormously exciting opportunity to transform the way that other difficult food wastes are handled.

It provides an economic and environmentally sustainable method that very much fits with Government initiatives to promote privately funded disposal schemes.

This is believed to be the first time that renewable energy will have been created from such waste on an industrial scale".

Keith Bury CBE, Chairman of Inetec said "The award of this contract and the facilities that Inetec and its partners will provide is a further milestone that has been achieved in the development and operation of sustainable environmental practice by the Company.

The value added contribution that is also made from the generation of renewable energy will enable the Company to play a major role in the attainment of the targets and goals that have been set for the future".