Surplus Organic Waste Generated by UK Covid-19 Lockdown - ADBA and REA Joint Survey Launched

ADBA PRESS RELEASE 24 April 2020:

ADBA and REA launch joint survey to treat surplus organic waste generated by Covid-19 lockdown

• The Environment Agency and devolved nations’ regulators have expressed concern over the issue of organic waste surpluses created by the Covid-19 lockdown.
• In response, the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) and the REA have launched a survey to identify spare capacity across the UK AD industry for this additional feedstock to be treated.
• Through this survey ADBA and REA will match organic waste producers with the nearest suitable AD operators for their surplus to be treated.
• Operators are urged to complete the survey to support those efforts.

In response to the increase in organic waste surpluses caused by the Covid-19 lockdown, ADBA and the REA have launched a joint survey that will match organic waste producers to their nearest AD operators.

A consequence of the lockdown has been the large amount of additional organic wastes generated by the closure of markets for food and drink producers such as farms, fisheries and breweries.  To address this situation, regulators in England, Scotland and Wales have contacted ADBA and the REA to assess the AD industry’s capacity to take on this surplus waste for recycling into green energy and biofertilisers.

The UK-wide survey will help identify suitable AD plants for the various feedstock types. It also aims to assist Defra, the regulators and industries that generate biodegradable waste in identifying the overall spare capacity available to treat feedstock and prioritise recycling  through AD; favouring it over other types of disposal lower down the waste hierarchy, such as energy recovery, incineration and the most environmentally harmful option, landfill.

ADBA and the REA will use the information from the survey to match suitable AD operators with the farmers and other food/drinks supply chain organisations that have surplus that needs to be recycled. This aims to ensure that organic waste is correctly treated and that AD operators have more opportunities to source feedstock throughout lockdown measures.

Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of ADBA, said:

"In these extraordinary times, everyone must pull together to address the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 lockdown. This survey of AD's spare capacity to treat various types of organic wastes shows how our industry can proactively play its part in supporting farmers and food and drinks producers with their surplus feedstock. Most importantly, it delivers a solution that not only tackles the current waste surplus crisis, but also, by recycling organic wastes into biogas for power, heat and transport as well as biofertilisers for agriculture, sustains the economy and establishes a building block towards a green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.  We are proud to deliver such a valuable service to society and urge all AD operators to complete the survey so that our industry's potential to help is fully assessed and realised, now and in the future."

Dr Nina Skorupska CBE FEI, Chief Executive of the REA, commented:

“It is our role as associations to ensure that our members and the wider industry can operate as normally as possible through these unprecedented times. With lockdown measures resulting in a drop in feedstock supplies in AD plants, this survey is a valuable tool that will not only aid the AD operators business continuity but prevent surplus waste from being disposed of in an inefficient and environmentally unfriendly manner.”

- ENDS -

Borger’s Waste Salmon Crush for Isle of Lewis Biogas

Press Release 22 March 2020;

A Multicrusher made by Borger is playing a key role in the continuing success of an award-winning waste-to-energy operation in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

At Stornoway’s Creed Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) on the Isle of Lewis, the Borger Multicrusher consistently chops a 7-cubic ton batch per shift of coarse waste salmon. This has enabled the facility to integrate the fish with household food waste and garden waste for its AD/ biogas process.

Food Waste Management for Compliance with EU Standards

Guaranteeing the shred of waste salmon to meet BSI PAS 110 regulations – the Borger Multicrusher.


Crucially guaranteeing the shred of waste salmon to meet BSI PAS 110 regulations AND EU ABP regulation 1774/2002 [5a] for the safe use of digestate as a renewable fertiliser, the Borger Multicrusher cuts the waste to the required maximum particle size of 12mm.


This vital cog in the process has helped Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the Local Authority for the Western Isles), together with its partners, The Scottish Salmon Company, Pure Energy Centre PEC, and Community Energy Scotland, win the prestigious Scottish Environment Business VIBES award.


Donnie Macmillan, Plant Manager at the Creed facility, said:

“Borger’s Multicrusher works extremely well for us in a very harsh environment. Some salmon waste can be quite tough and abrasive, so understandably we see wear on the cutters during our inspections, but that’s perfectly understandable”.

He added:

“Importantly, the Borger unit helps us meet all of our PAS 110 requirements, which is all part of what we set out to achieve here – optimising the methods of managing waste. In this case optimisation is achieved through not sending waste salmon to landfill sites, and not having to have it transported off the island”.

Based on the proven design of the Borger Rotary Lobe Pump, the twin-shaft Multicrusher homogenizes the waste salmon to facilitate the pumping and pasteurisation process at Creed, ensuring that downstream equipment can operate smoothly.

By inserting individual blade disks and defining the direction of rotation of the shafts, operators have the flexibility to choose which way the pumped medium flows. Various blade widths and cutting profiles determine the final cutting yield.

David Brown, Borger UK’s Managing Director, commented:

“We are very proud to play our part at Creed. It rightly deserves all the praise it gets for showing what can be done to protect the environment and reduce carbon footprint with good practice, forward-thinking and hard work”.

Biogas Production, CHP, Optimised Use of Renewable Electric Power, Thermal Storage and Hydrogen Technology

Also in Use at Creed Managing waste from the island’s population of approximately 22,000, the Creed IWMF has grown steadily to include a combined heat and power plant (CHP), electric boiler and thermal store, a wind turbine and a hydrogen system comprising electrolyser, storage and refuelling station, and a 960m3 AD/biogas plant.


Some of the electricity generated by the CHP is used to produce hydrogen and oxygen. This is captured, compressed and delivered to the salmon hatchery, where oxygenation is essential.

Hydrogen is used in a small fuel cell to provide electricity to the remote site, which sometimes suffers from electrical network failures. Previously, back-ups were provided by ageing diesel generators, meaning higher CO2 emissions and delivery costs. The hydrogen system at Creed also includes a refuelling station, where some of the hydrogen is used to refill a dual-fuel Refuse Collection Vehicle (RCV) operating on hydrogen/diesel.

Find out more at Borger.