Plans to turn poultry processing waste into power at 2 Sisters’ Scunthorpe site

Planning permission is being sought for an advanced anaerobic digester, or “bio-refinery”, that will produce both heat and power at the country’s largest poultry processing site.

2 Sisters Food Group has submitted an application to North Lincolnshire Council for a biogas plant powered by factory waste at its plant at Foxhills Industrial Estate, near Scunthorpe.

It will take up to 27t of waste each day, converting this into 1189kW of electricity and 1183kW of heat, according to the plans.

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The development is part of a broader ambition to have bio-refineries at 43 of the firm’s sites in the coming years, with the first phase of 10 installations under way.

Liverpool-based renewables and bio-engineering firm H2 Energy is providing equipment as part of a multi-million pound agreement.

A 2 Sisters spokesman said it would reduce the amount of poultry processing waste sent to landfill as well as the company’s reliance on conventional fossil fuels for power.

“Although still at the planning application stage, we hope to install a bio-refinery at our Scunthorpe factory.

“If successful, the plant will convert site waste to generate renewable power and heat.

“These installations provide significant savings in energy and waste management costs by processing waste where it is produced as well as supporting our drive towards a lower carbon footprint, zero waste to landfill and helping to deliver our sustainability aspirations.”