Food waste recycler Andigestion’s Bishop’s Cleeve site in Gloucestershire has become one of just four anaerobic digestion plants in the UK – and only the second this year – to be certified under a new scheme which recognises operational and environmental excellence.
The Bishop’s Cleeve plant, near Cheltenham, recycles up to 34,000 tonnes of household and commercial food waste each year and has been recognised under the Anaerobic Digestion Certification Scheme (ADCS), an industry-led initiative designed to raise standards and recognise good practice in the running of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. Bishop’s Cleeve is the first biomethane-to-grid plant in the UK to receive such certification; Andigestion is the first operator to have multiple certified plants.
The scheme is managed by the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), the UK’s trade body for anaerobic digestion. Certification of Bishop’s Cleeve follows the same ADBA accreditation awarded to the company’s second site, Holsworthy in Devon, in June.
“Naturally we’re delighted that our sites are the only two in the UK to have been recognised by this prestigious scheme this year, and I am extremely proud of our on-site compliance team and all members of staff at both Bishop’s Cleeve and Holsworthy whose high standards of management and professionalism enable us to deliver safe and sustainable practices each and every day,” commented Mike Lowe, Operations Director at Andigestion.
“Andigestion has always been ahead of the curve in terms of processes, innovation and development in AD and this certification demonstrates to our customers, regulators and the public that we remain at the forefront,” adds Mike. “The ADBA scheme certification clearly demonstrates the proven quality of the systems and processes deployed by the Andigestion team.”
Sam Hinton, Technical Support Manager at ADBA said: “It is excellent to see Andigestion continuing to demonstrate their commitment to operational excellence and professionalism in the AD industry. The successful certification of Bishops Cleeve makes them not only the first biomethane to grid plant on the scheme but the first operator with multiple certified plants.
“They will reap obvious benefits from the recognition – not only improved performance and productivity, whilst adhering to high environmental, health and safety standards, but also confidence from their employees, customers, regulators, insurance companies and neighbours. During the on-site audit it was obvious to see Andigestion are leading the way in showing other operators how to conduct business during these uncertain times and we were especially impressed with the response to addressing the auditors recommendations to ensure certification and best practice.”
