Kelda Group : Organic Energy

The background

The Welsh Government's national waste strategy "Towards Zero Waste" has set recycling targets for all with the aim of achieving 70% recycling by 2025. Cardiff Council is committed to meeting these targets, to ensure a clean, attractive and sustainable City for all. As a result of this, The Cardiff Organic Waste Treatment Project has been created by Cardiff Council as a tool to procure a long term contract for the treatment and recycling of food and green waste in a more environmental friendly way.

Who are we?

Kelda Organic Energy (KOE) is a company established by Kelda Water Services, we are one of four bidders proposing to deliver an innovative, widely beneficial and sustainable solution to the recycling of Cardiff Council’s organic waste.

By working closely with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW), KOE aim to combine the operational expertise of the Kelda Group with the local knowledge, network and support of DCWW.

What are we proposing?

KOE are proposing to design, build, finance and operate a state of the art anaerobic digestion (AD) facility as part of the Welsh Governments ‘Towards Zero Waste’ initiative. The AD Facility will treat Cardiff’s food waste.

view of the proposed plant

Anaerobic digestion is a natural treatment which uses bacteria to break down food waste in the absence of oxygen and produces a biogas, which is used to generate green electricity. The Process also produces a compost like material which is recycled back to agricultural land as a soil conditioner and fertiliser high in valuable nutrients, particularly nitrogen, leaving no waste. The electricity will be supplied to the adjacent Dŵr Cymru wastewater treatment works meaning the site becomes a more sustainable operation.

The dedicated recycling facility, planned to be operational in 2016, will be capable of receiving around 35,000 tonnes per year of discarded food that is collected by Cardiff Council.

It is proposed that the facility will be sited on the DCWW Waste Water Treatment Works adjacent to the Tremorfa Industrial estate.

view of the proposed plant

What are the benefits?

The food waste is converted into a high nutrient fertiliser and soil conditioner - this helps the Council to meet their recycling and landfill diversion targets;
The gases produced from AD are used to generate renewable energy - this reduces dependency on unsustainable fossil fuels, reducing carbon footprints, which is good for the environment;
Reduces the release of harmful landfill gases into the atmosphere;
Contributes towards Wales’ climate change and renewable energy targets;
Self-generation of electricity can help protect energy bills from unpredictable and volatile electricity prices in the future;
The facility offers social opportunities in the form of jobs and educational visits.

diagram of Kelda AD process

What happens next?

Following the public events, KOE will submit a full planning application to Cardiff Council with the aim of securing planning permission by June 2013. If successful with the final bid to the Council for the long term contract, we will begin construction of the plant in the middle of 2014 and it will be operational by early 2016.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about KOE, Anaerobic Digestion, our facility or require translation into another language, please send us an email to: info@keldaorganicenergy.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

If you would like to find out more about this, KOE is holding public drop in sessions at the Star Centre in Splott on 1st March 11:00 to 19:00, 2nd March 10:00 to 13:00, and 11th March 11:00 to 15:00.

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