Mashed, fried, baked and now: usable energy

Cavendish Farms – Potato Waste Conversion to Natural Fuel, Biogas Facility

Potato waste comes in many forms: whole potatoes, peels, frying oil, and spoiled product. It’s all dumped into a large bin and travels through digesters, pumps, and other equipment—some of the largest in the biogas industry—which break it down and convert the organics into gas. Biogas compressors then deliver the gas as a fuel to the plant’s steam boilers, reducing its greenhouse gas production by 35 percent, the equivalent of taking 7,300 cars off the road. The project also reduces the fossil fuel required to run the plant and eliminates the 1,609 kilometres (1,000 miles) a day spent on trucking waste offsite.

Our knowledge of food processing and biomass waste management was key to the successful planning, detailed design, and construction of this showcase biogas generation facility. We took a standard design process and made it more energy efficient and fully self-sustaining. The project included site work, storage tanks, specialized material handling and process equipment, gas systems, and modification to the existing boiler plant.

A commitment to being environmentally conscious and a true understanding of client needs have resulted in an automated system requiring little external energy to operate. We’ve taken something that is considered to have no real value and transformed it into a useful, renewable energy source. The result is great for the environment, community, and business.