Shanks launch Orgaworld in UK - new organic waste treatment plant to be built in Scotland
Shanks, one of the UK's leading sustainable waste management businesses, has signed a £8 million joint venture agreement with Scottish-based Energen Biogas to develop a new Anaerobic Digestion facility in Scotland.
This will be Shanks first Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility in the UK, complementing its Orgaworld businesses in The Netherlands and Canada.
Planning permission has already been granted for the plant which will be operational by Summer 2010 using Orgaworld technology - Shanks' leading edge organic waste treatment process.
The partnership will develop and operate a 60,000 tonnes per year Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant capable of generating enough renewable electricity to power up to 3,000 homes. The plant will utilise proven AD technology to process a range of organic materials including supermarket waste, household and commercial kitchen waste, food processing waste and organic materials generated by existing Shanks operations. The process will produce a high quality fertiliser for use on agricultural land and generate up to 3MWhrs of renewable electricity.
The site has been chosen as a result of the Scottish Government's clear strategic objective to minimise the quantities of both commercial and municipal waste sent to landfill and maximise recycling. It will provide a cost effective alternative to landfill and help local authorities and businesses increase their recycling rates.
Commenting on the JV agreement, Tom Drury, Group Chief Executive of Shanks Group,
said: 'Our launch of Orgaworld in the UK is progressing well and we are extremely pleased to have signed this agreement and look forward to working closely with Energen Biogas to develop and operate this facility. This plant will provide producers of organic waste with a cost effective and sustainable alternative to landfill.'
For further information please contact:
Shanks Group plc
Tom Drury, Group Chief Executive
Chris Surch, Group Finance Director
Telephone +44 (0)1908 650582
Tulchan Communications
David Allchurch/Stephen Malthouse
Telephone +44 (0)207 353 4200