Regional food-waste treatment in southwest Wales would be cheaper if two digesters were provided instead of one, analysis has revealed.
Five unitary authorities are preparing a food-waste scheme costed at £174M over 15 years. A sixth authority, Vale of Glamorgan, is expected to send food waste to the region.
Source-segregation of waste and treatment in anaerobic digesters (ADs) gained the highest score in an evaluation.
Options were then appraised using a whole-system waste-flow and cost model. Using two ADs was found to be cheaper than using one, thanks mainly to lower transport costs.
One is proposed for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, at a capital cost of about £5.3M. An eastern AD for the other authorities, including Swansea, would cost about £13.3M. The digesters’ capacity would be 20,000t a year and 50,000t a year respectively.
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