AD facility Achieves PAS110 Status

International waste-to-product business, Shanks Group plc (UK), has achieved an important environmental certification at its Westcott Park anaerobic digestion (‘AD’) facility in Buckinghamshire which underpins the quality and value of its products. 

The certification known as Publicly Available Specification 110 (‘PAS 110’) is a demanding industry specification through which producers verify that digestate is of a high quality and is fit for specific agricultural purposes. PAS 110 sets strict parameters on input materials and the management system for the AD process to ensure high quality compost is produced to meet market needs, while also protecting the environment.

The digestate product is generally used in the agricultural sector to replace less environmentally-friendly fertilisers. The PAS 110 certification assures farmers and other customers that Shanks’ digestate is environmentally-friendly, beneficial to crop growth and of a consistently high quality.

The achievement of the PAS 110 is another milestone in the commissioning process of the Westcott Park facility. At the end of 2014, Shanks increased food waste input into the facility by 150% to over 900 tonnes per week. Additionally, in April 2015, the site was issued with a Certificate of Compliance by Organic Farmers & Growers Ltd.

Peter Eglinton, Managing Director of Shanks’ Municipal Division, said:

“I am delighted that our Westcott Park AD facility has achieved this quality standard for our digestate product. By achieving PAS 110, we can assure our customers that our nutrient-rich digestate is recognised as best-in-class. By deploying the digestate back to land we are making more from waste and enchancing our position in the market as a leading waste-to-product company.”

The Westcott Park facility has the capacity to process 48,000 tonnes of food waste each year and exports 3MW of green electricity back to the National Grid, enough to power 6,000 homes. The fundamental design principles for the facility are based on Shanks’ wealth of experience developed at other organic waste facilities in the Netherlands, Belgium and Scotland.