Shanks set to start construction of second AD plant
11 Jan 2011
Milton Keynes, UK – Shanks has gained planning permission for its second AD facility in the UK. The £11 million, 48ktpa facility will generate up to 2MW of renewable energy, enough to power around 2000 homes.
The site will receive and process material from customers such as those in the retail and catering sector who produce significant volumes of food and other organic waste. The site will also process material from other Shanks recycling facilities.
The renewable energy generated will likely be used to power businesses on the Westcott Venture Park where the facility will be located, said Shanks.
In addition to the production of renewable energy the facility will also produce digestate, which is recycled back to agricultural land as a fertiliser. This reduces the need for expensive inorganic nitrogen and replaces phosphorus which comes from a non renewable source.
Ian Goodfellow, MD of Shanks UK said: “This facility will provide our customers with a long term sustainable solution for the recycling of their organic waste and it is clear evidence of our commitment to the generation of renewable energy utilising our Orgaworld AD technology”
Construction at the site, which is located between Bicester and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, will start in April 2011 and it is expected that it will be operational in early 2012.
In addition to the Bicester facility Shanks plans to submit planning for its third UK facility in East London early in 2011. These facilities will build on the Group’s existing organic waste treatment capacity which already stands at over 1 million tonnes.
