Energy recovery from food and beverage effluent – an overview of technologies and economics
Ramachandran, V., ONDEO Industrial Solutions Ltd, UK
(free)
The drive to reduce carbon emissions is being felt across industry with financial penalties in
the form of climate change levy CCL and incentives in the form of renewable obligation
certificates ROCs and grants. In the food and beverage sector the relatively high energy
density in residue materials lends itself to technologies for the recovery of energy. We have
examined both the range of technologies for food and beverage waste treatment as well as
operational experiences gained from operating sites for our customers. This paper examines
the technologies available in the market place and relative positions in terms of economic
advantage. There are a number of risks associated with various options that can reduce the
benefit derived from energy recovery which must be accommodated at the earliest stages of
the project and can shift the economics between technologies.
Based on a number of technology studies this paper demonstrates the wide range of
technologies that are available in the market place and why many of them have yet to find
wide acceptance. Those technologies that have gained market acceptance do not always
deliver to their promises leading to a lower rate of take up than the government would like.
Taking a long term view the establishment of appropriate technology selection criteria and
design standards adds hugely to the value of a project and allows energy recovery to be
firmly on the climate change agenda. This paper establishes a pathway to energy recovery
on a reliable footing.
