The biogas plant of the Northern Irish food logistics company McCulla Transport will go live producing biomethane in July 2021 following a plant expansion by WELTEC BIOPOWER and partner companies. At the site in Lisburn, 10 km south of Belfast, 450 standard m³ of biogas will be processed into biomethane/ RNG every hour. With this amount, the logistics company can operate ten new CNG trucks, which are refueled directly at the company’s new biomethane filling point. The substrates for the production of the green fuel come from the 41 Lidl supermarkets in Northern Ireland.
Ashley McCulla, chairman of the transport company of the same name, was able to commission the first stage of his biogas plant from WELTEC BIOPOWER back in January 2017. The intention at the time was to utilise the residual materials from his own agricultural business and to create synergies through the use of renewable electricity and heat in the refrigerated warehouse at their main logistics depot. The expansion to biogas upgrading, HGV fuel, and becoming Ireland’s greenest fleet was the logical next step of this good experience with the AD plant and their network in the food industry.
To ensure successful performance long-term, WELTEC BIOPOWER relied on its established components and technologies. Four pits are available for the pre-storage of the substrates. The subsequent anaerobic digestion takes place in two digesters made of stainless steel with a diameter of 23.03m, a height of 6.30m, and a capacity of 2,625m³ each. The digestate is stored in a 3,432m³ stainless steel gas-tight storage tank. To fully exploit the energy potential of the food waste, WELTEC has equipped the 80m³ dosing feeder in combination with the MULTIMix pre-feed system. In it, food leftovers are shredded and homogenised. In addition, the Lidl waste is automatically unpacked and pasteurised at the biomethane plant.