Sustainable and cost effective management of organic waste is an important part of society’s efforts to reduce the impact that our modern lives have on the world around us. Processes such as anaerobic digestion don’t just allow us to dispose of waste cleanly; they also allow us to recycle the waste, turning it into clean energy and fertiliser. A new anaerobic digestion plant has now opened in Surrey which will generate enough electricity to power 4,800 homes. sara LBS has supplied an interlocked door system which will keep the building sealed at all times, conforming to the Environmental Agency’s requirements.
A recent statement from the Rt. Hon. Owen Paterson MP, speaking on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reads: ‘We’re committed to increasing the proportion of energy we obtain from renewable sources to at least 15% by 2020. Energy from waste can contribute to meeting these targets.’
With such clear targets for renewable energy in the very near future it is important that we alter the way we view food waste and start working on methods of extracting the potential energy stored. Where food waste cannot be prevented, the most environmental way of disposing of it is through anaerobic digestion. This is a natural process whereby plant and animal materials (biomass) are broken down by micro-organisms in the absence of air. By harnessing this process we are able to divert organic waste away from landfill, generate renewable energy and create a digestate that can replace artificial fertilisers.
Agrivert is a UK leader of environmentally responsible waste management solutions. It has several sites across England that treat biological waste to allow for clean disposal whilst also generating renewable energy. Its most recent development is a large food digester near Chertsey in Surrey which, when opened later this year, will be able to convert 50,000 tonnes of food waste per annum and generate approximately 2.4MW of electricity. In addition, part of the heat generated by the process will be used to dry waste wood to provide sustainable fuel.
Alexander Maddan, Agrivert’s Chief Executive, comments: “Obviously wherever possible food waste should be avoided, but in reality it’s unavoidable that some occurs. By treating the waste rather than just sending it to landfill we are able to harvest renewable energy and recycle the matter.
“Working in harmony with the community and ensuring there is not a negative impact to the quality of life of nearby residents is extremely important. Not only did we carefully select the location of the plant, we also designed it to be as discrete as possible. Part of this design involves a system of interlocked doors at the entrance and exit which can only ever open one at a time, effectively sealing the building.”
The door systems were designed and installed by sara LBS, UK market leader in modern industrial door technology. Unlike most door manufacturers, who would need to rely on a third party programmer, sara LBS was able to supply and programme the entire interlocking system using their standard technology. By removing the third party, the installation times could be reduced and reliability is improved as any maintenance issue can be resolved directly.
Four doors from the company’s flagship ‘Sprint’ range of high speed doors were specified, with its patented MCC Vector Control system which is fully programmable and allows the doors toreach operating speeds of 2.5 m/s. The Sprint 3000s feature a galvanised steel frame and curtain of individual aluminium profiles, which can be easily replaced if damaged. The door is designed for low maintenance, even after long term heavy use, utilising sara’s Disc Drive mechanism which limits noise and wear vibration.
When activated the doors open and close quickly as the vehicles pass through the doorway, keeping the period that it is open to a minimum. In addition the four doors have been programmed so that only one can be open at any time. This effectively seals the building off from the surrounding areas and minimises the risk of odour escaping.
Alexander Maddan continues: “We needed to find a door system that would offer a reliable interlocking solution which we could trust. The sara solution was perfect as it was achieved using the standard technology available from the company, meaning that we knew it was tried and tested. In addition the doors open and close faster than anything else on the market and offer a high level of security to the plant.”
We have used Sara at 3 sites previously and have been very pleased with the reliability of the doors and the backup service when there are problems. We try to only select the highest quality components on our sites and where doors are concerned Sara represents the best.”
sara LBS offers a wide range of premium high speed doors, as well as complete loading bay packages. Its CSCS trained engineers are able to offer guidance during specification, throughout installation and beyond.
sara LBS
Tel: 01442 245577
Comments are closed.