Anaerobic digestion considered for south London

The Government's recent decision to reclassify AD as partly a composting process as well as an energy recovery process has made AD more attractive (ENDS Report 345, p 48 ).

A few years ago, Thames planned to adapt a sewage works near Oxford to digest household waste under a contract with Focsa, which had just won a 25-year disposal contract with Herefordshire and Worcestershire (ENDS Report 288, pp 15-16 ). However, Thames intends to install a new digester at Beddington if it goes ahead with AD at the site. Planning permission for the 110,000 tonnes per year plant, and for a 40,000 tonnes per year materials recycling facility, was granted in December 2002 - but separate planning permission would be needed for a digester. The MRF will be operational by the end of 2003. Thames has also started construction of a 30,000 tonnes per year green waste composting plant at the site. It will take material from the neighbouring London boroughs of Sutton, Croydon and Merton.