The PAS 110 accreditation is given to AD operators by the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme (BCS), which is run by the Renewable Energy Association.
The Bryn Pica AD plant near Aberdare recycles 22,500 tonnes of food waste each year collected from households by local authorities. From this waste it produces the digestate which is spread to local farmland.
The accreditation, said Biogen, provides assurance to consumers, farmers, food producers and retailers that the digestate produced from anaerobic digestion is safe for human, animal and plant health and is fit for spreading to farmland as a replacement for chemical fertilisers.
Certification
And the company claimed that the PAS 110 certification for Bryn Pica means it is now the only UK AD operator with six PAS 110 certified AD plants.
The AD plant also generates 1.2MW of renewable electricity for the grid, enough to power over 2,000 homes for a year.
Local farmer Richard Roderick, owner of Newton Farm in Brecon, Powys said: “We used the digestate at the end of August 2015 and were impressed with the resulting grass growth.
“Using the digestate instead of fertiliser should be lower cost as it is a by-product of a plant that generates energy from waste. This should make it more sustainable than oil based fertilisers.”
Farmers
Julian O’Neill, Biogen’s chief executive, said: “It’s great news for Biogen that the quality of the digestate at Bryn Pica has been recognised by the BCS and also that farmers appreciate the environmental and commercial value.”
Biogen worked with the 4R Group, who specialise in Environmental Consultancy and the recycling of the digestate to farmers and landowners in the region.
Jon Smith, Director of 4R Group, said: “Having this quality digestate available is a real boost to the local farming community and the results from using it have been very positive.”
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