CWE helps to turn waste into energy

AN electrical company’s expertise has seen it play a pivotal part in a renewable energy project that will turn farm and food waste into electricity that has the potential to power a thousand homes.

Wolverhampton and Shropshire-based Cosgriff Whitehouse Electrical (CWE) was called upon to install and commission the entire electrical cabling work required to fit an anaerobic digestion plant at Swancote Farm, near Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

Anaerobic digestion is a natural process which converts organic matter, such as food waste, animal slurry, and crop residues, into renewable energy.

The waste is stored in sealed tanks without any oxygen, where naturally-occurring organisms digest it and release methane-rich biogas, which is used to generate electricity, gas, or heat. The leftover waste material can also be used as a fertilizer packed with nitrates and phosphates.

The Swancote Farm project was developed and built by German-based biogas plant specialists MT Energie, with CWE required to install the electrics that connect two initial storage digesters, a secondary digester – which will help maximise biogas production by up to 20% compared to other systems – and two residue storage tanks.

CWE managing director Peter Whitehouse said: “Government schemes such as the Feed-In Tariff and the Renewable Heat Incentive are making anaerobic digestion plants such as Swancote a viable opportunity for farmers to diversify their operations and gain additional income.

“As well as the hard-headed economic benefits available there are, of course, major environmental advantages too, as it helps cut waste and provide a greener source of energy.”