case studies

 Biowaste production is estimated to be 120 million tonnes per year in the EU alone, increasing by 10% each year. At least 40% of this is landfilled or incinerated with only 25% energy recovery, due to a lack of alternatives. When the Portuguese supermarket chain Continente looked for ways of reducing their operating costs and [...] 

Biowaste production is estimated to be 120 million tonnes per year in the EU alone, increasing by 10% each year. At least 40% of this is landfilled or incinerated with only 25% energy recovery, due to a lack of alternatives.

When the Portuguese supermarket chain Continente looked for ways of reducing their operating costs and tackling their carbon footprint, SEaB Energy’s Flexibuster™ technology provided the answer to the questions they were asking.

José Fortunato, Director of Sonae MC, Portugal commented “the investment in this pioneering waste-to-energy project reflects Continente’s relentless focus on adopting sustainable development measures. We believe in a green economy and the efficient long-term use of natural resources.”

The multi-award winning Flexibuster™ technology deployed at the Continente supermarket is designed to turn food waste into energy right at the point where the waste is generated and the energy required.  Once installed, Flexibuster™ can process between 500kg and 3000kg of waste per day, reducing the cost of waste transport and disposal whilst generating clean energy in the form of electricity and heat that will help reduce overhead operating costs.

 A commercial bakery in the UK using the Flexibuster™ unit, our small AD unit, to create energy from its waste bakery products can pay for the unit in under 5 years.  This is based on certain assumptions: The most important factor is the type of waste and quantity that will be put into the Flexibuster™ [...] 

A commercial bakery in the UK using the Flexibuster™ unit, our small AD unit, to create energy from its waste bakery products can pay for the unit in under 5 years.  This is based on certain assumptions:

The most important factor is the type of waste and quantity that will be put into the Flexibuster™ unit.  In our case, a half a metric tonne of food waste consisting of sandwiches and breads is ‘fed’ to the Flexibuster™ five days a week.  This waste consists of old bread and old sandwiches with tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, mustard as additional items, some cakes and sweet bakery items.

The bakery currently has a need for all of the electricity and heat that the Flexibuster™ can produce, and is currently buying this electricity at 0.14p/kWh, and 0.065p/kWh gas.  With the unit producing more than 40,000 kWh of electricity and more than 70,000 kWh of heat, the bakery can save over £10K in current expenditures on energy.

The same commercial bakery has a waste disposal cost of £300/metric tonne.  The waste being processed by the Flexibuster™ is reduced down to about 1/3 of its initial tonnage, creating a cost savings of just under £14K per year in disposal charges.

With local renewable energy support incentives available to the bakery totalling over £7K, the Flexibuster™ unit capital cost, installation and maintenance costs can be paid off in under 5 years.

In countries where the capital costs or even total project costs receive tax credits, the payback can be even shorter.

 Turning Food Waste into Science Park Energy – Muckbuster® Installation at the University of Southampton Science Park, Chilworth, Southampton, Hants SO16 7NP Installation Date May 2012  

 Golf course associations and golf clubs around the world are looking at ways to improve the sport’s environmental criteria.  Sustainable developments and low carbon footprint operations are the name of the game.  As golf courses use fertiliser for the courses, power for the maintenance machinery, and power for the golf carts, there are many areas [...] 

Golf course associations and golf clubs around the world are looking at ways to improve the sport’s environmental criteria.  Sustainable developments and low carbon footprint operations are the name of the game.  As golf courses use fertiliser for the courses, power for the maintenance machinery, and power for the golf carts, there are many areas where sustainability of the sport can be addressed.  In addition, most golf courses have clubhouses associated with them.  These clubhouses, in turn, serve food and beverages, and produce food waste.

A small-scale anaerobic plant can serve as an onsite solution to the environmental goals.  Flexibuster™, our containerised waste-to-energy solution, offers a combined unit, built in a shipping container, which can take both the grounds waste and the food waste, and convert it into biogas, fertiliser and mulch.  The half a metric tonne of daily waste processing capacity, lends itself to the golfing world.  The resulting biogas can be converted into electricity using a CHP (combined heat and power) unit, to power the grounds equipment, golf carts, and clubhouse.  The fertiliser is a welcome by product, further cutting the cost of course upkeep, and reducing the carbon footprint of the operation.

By moving from a business model involving waste collection, fertiliser purchasing, and energy sourcing, to on-site, decentralised, small-scale anaerobic digestion, the golfing industry can dramatically improve its Green credentials and of course, while reducing the cost of running the golf course.

The Flexibuster™ comes ready to operate, takes up minimal space, and is operator friendly.  Just use it as you would your normal waste disposal unit….with a few extra steps, to you collect your ‘free’ fertiliser and mulch.