AD specialist HUBER Technology is to showcase its plastics removal technology and expertise at the upcoming UK AD & World Biogas Expo conference and exhibition which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham next month.
James Tucker, HUBER’s Industrial Business Development Manager will be delivering two presentations during the two day event as part of the conference programme with a dedicated focus on plant optimisation.
Growing concern over plastics contamination and pollution means digestate screening for plastics removal is moving higher up the business agenda in the AD and biogas sector.
Digestate from the production process plays an important role in soil replenishment, but can require some processing before use as an alternative to mineral fertilisers.
AD plants receive a combination of different food wastes from varying sources, with some coming in retail packaging or containing significant plastics contamination.
To utilise the waste, the material goes through a de-packaging plant designed to separate the valuable food waste from the packaging. While the more bulky pieces of plastic are retained, it is difficult to ensure that no plastics are passed forward - some plastics are broken into smaller pieces and mixed into the resulting “soup”. As the plastics cannot be digested, they pass through the plant, leaving with the digestate.
Residual plastics in digestate can prevent digestate from meeting PAS 110 - a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) ensuring that sites “produce digested material that meets market needs and protects the environment.” In order to meet PAS 110 for use of digestate as a fertiliser, the plastics content must be reduced.
In the light of growing public concern over the harmful impact of plastics in the environment, coupled with the restrictions on the use and value of digestate which fails to meet the strict PAS 100 requirements, HUBER Technology is seeing increased levels of interest in the sector in technologies which can tackle the issue.
The AD specialist has already installed its HUBER Sludgecleaner STRAINPRESS® unit for plastics removal at hundreds of sites. The unit is successful at removing plastics and other large material, enabling digestate to meet PAS 110. HUBER has skid-mounted units available to trial, enabling it demonstrate the equipment’s performance on site.
The STRAINPRESS® which operates automatically and requires minimal maintenance, is ideal for AD plants. Key operational benefits include continuous screening, dewatering and transport of coarse' material in one operation. The unit also delivers increased operating reliability of downstream sludge treatment systems such as thickening, disinfection, stabilisation, dewatering, drying, and reduced maintenance requirements
James Tucker commented:
“The STRAINPRESS® is ideally suited to this application and provides excellent results. With nearly 400 units sold in the UK alone and decades of experience servicing and maintaining the units, HUBER STRAINPRESS® units are an obvious choice.”
For more information contact James Tucker on 07720 086808 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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