ABP Food Group’s renewable division has invested £22 million in a green energy plant, which is expected to produce enough sustainable energy to power the equivalent of 12,000 homes, according to the company.
ABP’s renewables division, Olleco, has opened the new 15 MW Anaerobic Digestion facility in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, adjacent to the Arla dairy.
The new facility follows the company’s decision to open a certified carbon neutral abattoir in Ellesmere in 2015, where waste material from the food processing operation is used in conjunction with used cooking oil to provide energy requirements on site.
Earlier this year, ABP also achieved triple accreditation from The Carbon Trust for the third consecutive year.
Olleco, which employs over 600 people across the UK, collects waste food and cooking oil from the retail and food service sector and converts this waste into bio diesel, bio gas and bio fertiliser.
Robert Behan, MD of Olleco, said the new facility, is an “excellent example of the circular economy in action, with multiple supply chain partners working together to deliver a truly sustainable outcome”, adding: “Sustainability is a key priority right across the ABP Food Group.
“The company has invested and implemented innovative sustainability measures that are world class, trail blazing and meet the exceptionally high targets – to reduce the environmental footprint of our business – we have set ourselves.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.