Wilson’s Country to generate power from potato peelings
Food NI member Wilson’s Country in Portadown, Northern Ireland’s largest potato packer and processor has invested £2 million in the development of an anaerobic development (AD) system for generating electricity from waste such as peelings.
Located within the site of the existing business, the new plant will provide 60 per cent of the company’s annual electricity requirements.
Wilson’s Country managing director Lewis Cunningham said: “The potato waste from the business will be used as the main feedstock for the AD operation. It has taken two years to get the project through near to completion.
“The last piece in the jig saw puzzle was the establishment of an inter-connector between the AD plant and the national grid.”
He added: “The new system is being gradually been brought on line over the next number of weeks and will reach full operational capacity by the end of November.”
Company founder and chief executive Angus Wilson added: “We have been using certified ‘green electricity’ only within our entire operation for the past couple of years. This step, alone, has allowed us to reduce the carbon intensity of the company by 75 per cent.
“Being able to generate a significant proportion of our green electricity on site allows us to reduce our overall energy bill while, also making more efficient use of the waste streams produced within the business.
“It all adds to the sustainability of Wilson’s Country into the future.”
AD is the conversion of organic feedstock by micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen into biogas and digestate. The produced biogas can be used to generate electricity and heat.
