An innovative eco business that turns food waste into renewable energy has enlisted leading contractor Morris Property to help deliver a £3 million expansion at its Staffordshire farm.
Lower Reule Bioenergy Ltd is to move its food waste collection and first-step processing operations from Four Ashes, Wolverhampton, to Gnosall, where its anaerobic digestion plant is based.
The plant recycles food waste otherwise destined for landfill into renewable energy for more than 3,500 homes and businesses and also produces heat and a biofertiliser for farmers.
Food waste is currently collected, de-packaged, macerated and blended to form a ‘porridge’ before being transported by tanker to the Gnosall site.
Shrewsbury-based Morris Property has been contracted to provide new buildings and an upgraded, more efficient, secure site for operations to be centralised.
The works include a main 15 metres high unit where the waste will be delivered and stored to get the processes underway, a dry matter store for fertiliser produced, extensive drainage works, a weighbridge, an office and a yard.
Electricity for the de-packaging plant will come from the biogas plant, not the national grid. A rainwater harvesting system will also provide half of the water it requires.
Steve Flavell, Construction Manager, of Morris Property said: “It’s an interesting project and we’re delighted to be working within the renewable sector. We are working closely with Lower Reule Bioenergy to their design and timescale, providing our expertise to ensure the tight timescale is met.”
Work has just started and will be handed over later in the year. Once the new plant is live, Morris Property will decommission the Four Ashes site.
Robert Greenow, Managing Director, of Lower Reule Bioenergy said: “We are investing in a new food waste de-packaging facility to reduce road miles and to have a more efficient plant achieving 98% of food waste recovery also creating more employment in the local area. We chose Morris Property because of their track record working with and achieving tight time scales”.
Privilege Finance, specialists in renewable energy finance, has assisted on funding for the project. The architect for the scheme is Michael Goff and DF Lynch are the Quantity Surveyors.
Morris Property is part of a fifth-generation family business group working in property investment and management, new build residential and commercial developments and restoration schemes.
For more information about Morris Property and its services, please call 0345 515 0063 or email [email protected]
