Greenergy has developed a process to transform spoiled pies and other food waste into fuel in a drive to cut waste and tackle rising fuels prices. Greenergy will start taking oil from unsold pies, pasties, crisps and other food waste to use for biodiesel production.
Investment of circa £50 million has seen Greenergy’s biodiesel production facility on the east coast of England significantly updated to process used cooking oils, which are more complex in dealing with than some other oils like rapeseed.
To extend its use of waste-based bio fuel further Greenergy is now additionally making biodiesel from high fat solid foods such as pies, sausage rolls, pastries and crisps which are not fit for sale.
These food products, which typically contain between 25% and 30% oil and fat, are sourced from a variety of food manufacturers nationally.
The oils and fats in these foods are extracted through a process developed by Brocklesby and are then further purified by Greenergy.
Only then are the oils and fats clean enough to be suitable for conversion into biodiesel.
Greenergy chief executive, Andrew Owens, said: “The quantities of biodiesel we’re currently producing from solid food waste are small, but we’re expecting to scale up so this soon becomes a significant proportion of our biodiesel.
“To put it into context, just one of these new facilities could handle enough waste pies or crisps to fill a cruise ship.
“With multiple plants, the potential for this kind of technology to reduce fuel emissions is considerable.”