HUBER Technology to showcase expertise at UK AD & Biogas Expo in Birmingham

James Tucker, HUBER’s Industrial Business Development Manager will be delivering two presentations in the Engine Room theatre during the two-day event as part of the conference programme with a dedicated focus on plant optimisation.

Growing concern over plastics contamination and pollution means digestate screening for plastics removal is moving higher up the business agenda in the AD and biogas sector.

Digestate from the production process plays an important role in soil replenishment, but can require some processing before use as an alternative to mineral fertilisers.

AD plants receive a combination of different food wastes from varying sources, with some coming in retail packaging or containing significant plastics contamination.

To utilise the waste, the material goes through a de-packaging plant designed to separate the valuable food waste from the packaging. While the more bulky pieces of plastic are retained, it is difficult to ensure that no plastics are passed forward - some plastics are broken into smaller pieces and mixed into the resulting “soup”. As the plastics cannot be digested, they pass through the plant, leaving with the digestate.

Residual plastics in digestate can prevent digestate from meeting PAS 110 - a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) ensuring that sites “produce digested material that meets market needs and protects the environment.”  In order to meet PAS 110 for use of digestate as a fertiliser, the plastics content must be reduced.

In the light of growing public concern over the harmful impact of plastics in the environment, coupled with the restrictions on the use and value of digestate, which fails to meet the strict PAS 100 requirements, HUBER Technology is seeing increased levels of interest in the sector in technologies, which can tackle the issue.

The AD specialist has already installed the HUBER Sludgecleaner STRAINPRESS® unit for plastics removal at hundreds of sites. The unit is successful at removing plastics and other large material, enabling digestate to meet PAS 110. HUBER has skid-mounted units available to trial, enabling it to demonstrate the equipment’s performance on site.

The STRAINPRESS®, which operates automatically and requires minimal maintenance, is ideal for AD plants. Key operational benefits include continuous screening, dewatering and transport of coarse material in one operation. The unit also delivers increased operating reliability of downstream sludge treatment systems such as thickening, disinfection, stabilisation, dewatering, drying, and reduced maintenance requirements

James Tucker commented:

“The STRAINPRESS® is ideally suited to this application and provides excellent results. With nearly 400 units sold in the UK alone and decades of experience servicing and maintaining the units, HUBER STRAINPRESS® units are an obvious choice.”

Another area of the AD treatment process that is under scrutiny is the excessive build-up of grit in the digesters, blockage of pipework and damage to pumps. Where there is a lack of a Grit Trap, entry into the tanks can be required to remove settled grit. The HUBER Longitudinal Grit Trap and Grit Washer remove grit and inorganics before they reach the digester. Additionally, the grit can be washed to enhance the quality of the material and reduce lost organics.

These are just two of the areas where HUBER Technology can provide solutions and at the forthcoming exhibition, customers will have the opportunity to meet James Tucker, our experienced Industrial Manager and find out where and how we can help your plant run more efficiently and what process enhancements could be made to optimise the whole plant.

• HUBER STRAINPRESS® = Plastics Removal = Help to meet PAS 110, Improved digestate quality
• HUBER Longitudinal Grit Trap & Washer =Grit Removal =Increase Gas Yield, Reduced maintenance

We are excited to support our customers on new plants and are keen to be involved in the early stages of planning a plant to ensure all areas of the process are looked at. The team is looking forward to meeting and explaining to visitors how our technology works at the forthcoming exhibition.

Please come along and visit us at Stand D209

For more information contact James Tucker on 07720 086808 or email James.Tuckerhuber.couk