Council vehicles could be powered through AD

A study for RENEW has identified opportunities for developing an anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in the north east to fuel council vehicles.


RENEW facilitates the delivery of commercial energy and environmental technology projects across the north east England.

WSP Environmental were commissioned to carry out the study to examine the feasibility of using AD to manage organic waste arising from Hartlepool, Middlesborough and Stockton local authority areas.

The study highlighted the opportunity for collection of food waste from households and the commercial sector to provide feedstock for a potential AD facility to produce biomethane.

A facility in the area could have a capacity of approximately 30,000 tonnes per annum, which would provide to 4.25 million litres of diesel or petrol.

RENEW’s energy manager, Peter Walsh said: “The new facility would not only provide a recycling facility for food waste, therefore reducing waste sent to landfill, but also produce biomethane which can be used to power council vehicles.

“At the moment Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton councils consume two million litres of diesel between them so it would produce more than enough fuel for their needs.”

The idea would require the three local authorities to establish new household food waste collections.

Currently the initial opportunity has been identified and the next stage of the process will be to conduct further work with the councils in the feasibility of the plan.

Alison Brown

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