1. This is a great time for Community enterprise
Wildpoldersheid in Germany produces 321
% more energy than it uses and exports 4
million Euros of green power to the grid.
They have wind farms, solar, 2 biogas
plants ….
There are 160
neighbourhood co-ops set up
in the UK to keep village
shops, nurseries and pubs
open.
There are over 40 energy co-
ops set up to generate
renewable energy from wind,
solar or hydro projects.
Ovesco raised £ 400,000 for
community solar in Lewes
1
2. Compact town-scale biogas plants make good sense
There are 7000 such plants in Germany and only 70 in the UK. A successful model
needs support from the business community, residents and local farmers who will
take the fertiliser produced. Energise Sussex Coast Ltd has submitted an
application for pre-planning funding to the Community Generation Fund.
Biogas plants and district heating
2
3. East Sussex could support 3-4 biogas Key Gas to bio-methane
sites treating 70,000 – 100,000 tonnes Gas to grid
of commercial bio-wastes (estimate) We are Gas to local CHP
looking at all the options – Hastings is likely to
be the first (possibly the first in the UK)
Isfield Mountfield
Lewes, Ham Lane
Rye
Hastings
Eastbourne
Beddingham
3
4. How are we doing?
If we can raise £ 75 k for pre-planning costs
(community engagement, surveys, planning
nsultant) we hope to apply for planning this summer
We are confident that we can source 8000-10000
tonnes of commercial and catering food waste
e are looking for social funders who will see this not
only as an beneficial investment but as a key model
for other communities to pursue. 4
5. This is what a standard plant would look like if made from
concrete (cheaper than steel). Note the figure in the bottom
right hand corner for scale
5
6. Hastings site: we need around 3000 m2
To treat 12,000 tonnes per annum (Tpa) would require
24-30 vehicle deliveries per week
We don’t need to take garden and landscape waste if we can source enough food waste. The best
use of the heat would be if we could supply heat and power to EMMAUS and SAINSBURY – we are
working on this. Local restaurants, pubs, butchers, farm produce wholesalers we have talked to
would love to supply us – they are paying up to £ 26 for a single wheelie bin collection. A local
collection could save them money and turn their waste into energy. They could be shareholders in 6
the project.
8. Food waste will come in tankers
or sealed vehicles and all the
tipping and processing will
happen inside the building. This
will be sealed, have negative
pressure and a bio-filtration
plant will absorb odours.
Neighbours will not be able to
see, hear or smell the
plant.
The plant will have a de-
packaging unit as supermarkets
will not de-package their waste.
One supermarket produces
around 2 Tonnes of food waste
per week.
It is essential that we find local
users of the digestate – farms,
woodland managers, market
gardens. This is slowing down
the uptake of AD plants in the
UK 8
9. 6
ESCC planners advised that we would not need an EIA for this site but that bat or lizard and slow-
worm surveys might be required. We are proposing a solar roof for the Reception Hall. We need to
combine a planning application with a full community consultation. 9
10. This is in the middle of a Swiss town, 15 metres
from housing. It supplies a district heating system.
10
11. Electricity is fed to the grid (or local users) heat can be used locally or to dry wood. The
CHP runs 24/7 so maintaining it is expensive. Germany has 7000 of these plants (the UK 70)
11
12. If we built one what would we get from 10,000 tonnes
of food waste?
ELECTRICITY 2.98 Gigawatt hours (Gwh)
= 2,975 million Kwh (around 850 homes)
HEAT
Over 3 Gwh (we can use the heat locally or to dry wood for biomass
heating or supply hot water to neighbouring sites)
Nearly 9,000 tonnes of very useful fertiliser
12
13. We are working with a company that designed a new type of food
waste bin for homes and businesses. It does not smell!
One of the big 5 waste companies is now researching this with two Universities. What this
means is that food waste (including pet litter) need only be collected every two weeks.
What’s more, the weight goes down by 8%. Waste contractors and Local
Authorities would save money. So would businesses. And if you segregate
food into one bin the other will be mostly dry recyclables. So recycling rates
increase dramatically. Two bins are all that are necessary.
35 litre Aerobic Bin with lockable handle
13
80 litre wheeled Aerobic Bin.
14. If the Hastings biogas plant is operational by mid to late 2013
it is likely to be one of the first of its kind, demonstrating
that “waste” can be turned into a renewable energy resource
that benefits the community and the environment.
Biogas plants are more complex and have Every town could have one
more risks than wind turbines, solar roofs or
hydro-power stations.On the other hand they
produce energy 24/7 and neatly demonstrate a
closed loop process.
If we asked the community to invest we are
only likely to raise a tiny % of the capital cost
of the plant (bear in mind we are not that
familiar with this technology in the UK).
For a farm-based anaerobic digester that does
not treat food waste this would be a good idea
– they need only cost £ 500 k compared to £ 5
mil.
In our model the Hastings Energy Co. would
own the waste treatment plant (the anaerobic
digester) and a community energy co-op -
Energise Sussex Coast – would own the energy
generation (the CHP plant). This can support a
range of other community projects… 14
15. ENERGISE SUSSEX COAST
our renewable energy co-op
We are registering
as an Industrial
Provident Society for
the benefit of the
community – an
IPS Ben Com
The BIG issue we aim to
tackle in the region is fuel
poverty in urban and rural
communities 15
16. A local biogas plant can contribute in several ways – apart from all its
obvious environmental benefits
•A green utility company interested in funding the plant and purchasing its “green” electricity can
offer a “community tariff” to 250 vulnerable homes (saving each home up to £ 200 a year in
electricity bills)
•In 2013 the local authority can retain the business rates for community benefit. This could
contribute £ 50,000 p.a to the community
• Energise Sussex Coast will use its annual profits from the CHP plant to invest directly into energy
improvements for vulnerable households
•The plant can provide training opportunities in green technologies and green
16
collar jobs (in food waste collections and distribution of the by-products)
17. Revenue streams
GATE FEES (commercial food waste)
Waste Co.
partners Proposed Hastings model
£££
Hastings and Bexhill Biogas co
Signs 30 year lease for site Biogas plant/waste treatment
£££ Builds, owns and operates
Own waste plant
collection £££
service
CHP plant/energy generation
Electricity buys
tariff biogas
FIT
Heat
Sales to local £££ Energise Sussex Coast IPS
Tariff users
Builds, owns and operates
RHI CHP plant
SALES
TO 17
GRID
