The UK's first ReFood anaerobic digestion (AD) plant is taking shape at PDM's headquarters in Doncaster. The £12m plant is using a mix of expertise from UK and European construction and AD specialists in the build process.
Already, the steel frame for the reception and state of the art depackaging facility is erected, with the concrete digestor and the foundations for the biogas storage facility now in place. The development will speed up visibly over coming weeks as more and more of the kit and cladding is added - including the iconic ReFood dome and stainless steel pasteurisation units.
The Doncaster plant will be able to recycle around 45,000 tonnes of food waste each year and produce 2.8MWs of renewable electricity and heat helping to provide a sustainable solution for some of the millions of tonnes of food waste generated across the UK food chain each year. ReFood offers all businesses across the food chain, from large industrial food processors to small fish and chips shops, a unique, high quality food waste collection and recycling service. ReFood's 'bin swap' offering means that a full bin will be exchanged for a cleaned and sanitised one at each collection.
Paul Morris, operations director at PDM comments: "The ReFood plant is really starting to take shape and is on schedule to be completed and operational this summer. We're now entering some of the more exciting phases, which will see the structure of the plant finalised, ready for the internal equipment to be added. We already have a number of local businesses on board to use the plant, with many national customers also keen to see their food waste converted into energy this way."
PDM intends ReFood to be a nationwide food waste collection and AD recycling operation and is already looking at where and when to build the next plants. The new plant will create around 35 new jobs in the Doncaster area, covering operations, logistics and administration.