29 April 2024
Severn Trent Green Power (STGP), today announced it has surpassed a major milestone, achieving a best-ever 302GWh of renewable energy generation over a 12-month period.
Measured as an electrical equivalent (1), the energy generated is enough to power over 111,000 homes (2), equivalent to more than all the households in both Oxford and Cambridge combined (3).
This significant achievement marks a new chapter for STGP and reinforces its position as a frontrunner in the anaerobic digestion (AD) sector.
“Reaching the 300GWh threshold is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our entire team,” said Christer Stoyell, Managing Director. “We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment, which would not have been possible without our strategic acquisition of Andigestion Ltd and the successful recommissioning of our Derby food waste AD plant, both in Q3 last year.”
Growth through acquisition and innovation
STGP's journey to 300GWh was fuelled by a commitment to both strategic growth and continuous improvement. The acquisition of Andigestion Ltd, a fellow leader in the food waste AD sector, significantly bolstered STGP's capacity and reach, adding an estimated 45GWh equivalent in generation capacity, and expanded the company’s interests into the south west of England.
Furthermore, the company's dedication to optimising its existing infrastructure is exemplified by the comprehensive refurbishment of the Derby plant, featuring a modernised front-end and enhanced recycling processes.
“This 300GWh milestone is just the beginning,” said Mr Stoyell. “We are committed to further expansion and innovation, solidifying our role as a force in the UK's renewable energy landscape. By further unlocking the potential of organic waste, and expanding our portfolio of other renewable energy sources, we can help create a greener future for generations to come.”
Anaerobic digestion, or AD, works by extracting the gas emitted by food waste and injecting it back into the gas grid, or by turning it into electricity in an engine before adding it to the UK power network. The food waste, which originates from a mixture of domestic and commercial sources, is tipped into bunkers on site, macerated, depackaged and mixed with liquid before spending about 90 days in large on-site digester tanks, where the gas is captured.
The remaining by-product, called digestate, is a nutrient rich organic fertiliser that is spread back to farmland near each AD site, often to help grow the next generation of food crops.
STGP treated more than 500,000 tonnes of food waste in this way in 2023/24, in turn preventing almost 450,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, when compared with landfill.
The energy generated by STGP this year can also:
- Boil a kettle more than 30 million times
- Run a TV for more than 6 billion hours
- Power a lightbulb for more than 30 billion hours
- Run over a million fridge freezers for a year
1 302Gwh is an electrical equivalent, as STGP also exports biomethane to the grid in some locations.
2 Based on Ofgem’s estimate of 2,700Kwh consumption per annum, typical annual use for a medium-sized UK household.
3 According to UK Census data 2021. Oxford 55,238, Cambridge, 52,472.