The team behind the north east’s only anaerobic digestion plant are celebrating after picking up a prestigious North East Business Award.
Pictured is Antony Warren, Director of Emerald Biogas with the award
Emerald Biogas was awarded the Best Newcomer prize, and the night was topped off by sister company John Warren ABP, which provides the collection services for Emerald Biogas, walking away with two prizes – one for its Services and the other for Low carbon, Corporate Responsibility & Environment.
It is a major coup for the company, whose facility in Newton Aycliffe only became operational in 2013, and is now providing food recycling services for major retailers like Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer and a host of food manufacturers, hotels, restaurants and take-away outlets across the region.
Amongst the things that impressed the judges were its achievements over the last year which include:
Reducing the ‘food miles’ of its customers by an average of 96% – a total of 60,344 miles per annum, by providing a local facility that stops them having to travel to Glasgow or Doncaster to recycle waste
Diverting 50,000 tonnes of waste from landfill every year and turning this into enough electricity to supply 2,000 homes,
Development of a bio-fertiliser which is now being supplied to local farmers around Newton Aycliffe, and
Ambitious expansion plans for the future which could see the company quadruple in size.
The Durham and Wearside awards were held at Ramside Hall, and the success now means that Emerald Biogas and John Warren ABP will both go through to the regional final at Hardwick Hall on 1 May, where they are hoping for further success.
Emerald Biogas is the North East’s first commercial food waste anaerobic digestion facility. The £8m facility, which is based in Newton Aycliffe, has been designed to recycle food waste – leftover and unsold products – generated by commercial organisations, including food manufacturing companies, retailers, schools and leisure outlets, amongst others.
Once the waste is collected, Emerald Biogas then recycles it using state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion technology to create valuable new commodities such as renewable energy and biofertiliser for agricultural land.
Ian Bainbridge, Director of Emerald Biogas, said: “This is a really great achievement and one we’re very proud of. It has taken a lot of hard work and commitment from a lot of people to get Emerald Biogas up and running and it is fantastic to get this recognition. We have ambitious plans for growth in the future and we’re working with local businesses here in Newton Aycliffe to supply them with heat and power directly.”
