Anaerobic Digestion of Brewery Effluent
This traditional independent Brewery, produces Badger Beers, Panda Soft Drinks and Hofbrau Lager under licence. Combined effluents have been treated on site from 1986, before being discharged to sewer. The existing treatment plant was taken out of commission due to excessive corrosion in January 1991.

After a comprehensive review of plant activities and a waste minimiastion study, Environmental Biotechnology Limited (EBL) undertook a Waste Audit to assess current effluent characteristics and to evaluate the feasibility of continued on site treatment.

EBL was subsequently commissioned to design a new anaerobic digestion plant and undertake project management and commissioning of the largest, continuously operating, industrial digester in the UK (3,300m3).

The system incorporates a number of unique features including variable volume operation and a novel heating and mixing system (submerged combustion). This avoids the need for costly additional acidification and equalisation capacity by combining the whole process in one tank.The plant has demonstrated the potential to reduce COD by as much as 97% in a single stage.The client purchased all equipment directly, resulting in significant savings and a rapid return on investment. The project received an award from the EC for novel use of energy (Thermie Award).

Industrial Anaerobic Digester