Pet foods firm makes its move towards energy

There are just two months to go until the official opening of Prosper De Mulder’s £12m anaerobic digestion plant and the site is buzzing with activity.

As the deadline looms, the main structures are up and the mixers, pipework and wiring are now being fitted.

It is the culmination of years of planning and 12 months construction for the Doncaster-based firm, a pet food processing and distribution specialist.

When it is up and running, the plant, which will create 35-40 new jobs, will be able to recycle around 45,000 tonnes of food waste each year and produce 2.8Mw of renewable electricity and heat – enough to power about 5,000 homes.

“We have been looking at anaerobic digestion for five or six years but previously the incentives weren’t there to do it,” said commercial director Philip Simpson. “Now, the landfill price is coming up and there are green incentives and the feed-in tariff to make it more worthwhile.”

PDM is developing the plant under the ReFood brand in partnership with German waste management company SARIA, which has already built five other plants and will have a 10 per cent stake in the Doncaster site.

It intends ReFood to be a nationwide food waste collection and anaerobic digestion recycling operation and is already looking at where and when to build the next plants. It is in detailed discussion with two more sites and there is potential to develop on four more sites it already owns. It is also looking for another development in the South East.

The company already collects food waste from major players in the industry, including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda, as well as individual shops, to take to other recycling sites.

Mr Simpson said: “There are a lot of companies committed to moving away from landfill. People are aware of the economic times we live in and don’t want to increase their waste business.

“We collect from over 10,000 sites a week nationwide and from this site we do 40 pick-ups a day from a 50-mile radius of the plant.”

However, one of the biggest challenges with customers is proving the environmental benefits.

Mr Simpson said: “An issue for everyone is cost. People are very nervous about the increasing cost to their business but there is also a commitment to move food waste out of landfill.”

The huge amount of food that is wasted in this country has emerged as a key stumbling block in reducing the total amount of rubbish we throw away as well as reducing carbon emissions and water loss.

Food recycling commitments in Scotland and Wales are already underway and those in the industry believe it is only a matter of time before England follows.

Wales has an ambition to recycle 70 per cent of its waste by 2025, becoming zero waste by 2050. Scotland has a similar target, adding that only five per cent of its current waste should end up in landfill by 2025.

Paul Morris, operations director at PDM, said: “There is more awareness now. Everyone we speak to wants to move food waste out of landfill. We know it’s coming because the UK is committed to doing it and food waste is a significant part of that model.”

The anaerobic digestor takes 25-36 days to complete its cycle. As well as heat and electricity, it produces 43,000 tonnes of odourless organic fertiliser a year, which is sent to three large local farms.

Although the plant officially opens in September, the recycling process will not begin until the first week in October after “seeding” takes place, a process which encourages the bugs, which break down the waste material, to grow.

Mr Morris said: “You can’t just put the waste material in. You’ve got to get the bugs operating and slowly start feeding in raw material.”

A new office building forms part of the development, including a customer support centre. It will also welcome school trips.

Recruitment for new staff has already started for jobs covering operations, logistics and administration.

The £210m-turnover company, owned by the De Mulder family, employs 1,100 staff, including 200 staff in Doncaster.

Idea met with opposition

PROSPER De Mulder’s new anaerobic digestion plant attracted controversy with residents opposing the development, fearing that it would “severely affect” the quality of their lives and negatively impact house prices.

But town planners approved the project, which is creating 35 new jobs, covering operations logistics and administration.

Philip Simpson, commercial director, said: “We have met local residents to explain the development. We are using existing sites, not building on green field land, and people are used to an industrial development in the area. We are collecting local waste and recycling it on our own site – we’re cutting down on the vehicle movements.”