The Waen anaerobic digestion (AD) plant will recycle 22,500 tonnes of food waste collected by local authorities and this, along with food waste from commercial sources, will generate enough renewable electricity to power the nearby city of St Asaph – around 2,000 homes. 

The plant, which completed commissioning in June 2014, was built by Biogen, a leading anaerobic digestion specialist. Funding for the £7m project was provided by the Welsh Government, Denbighshire County Council, Conwy County Borough Council and Flintshire County Council, Iona Capital and Biogen.

In addition to the electricity generated, the Waen plant also produces a valuable biofertiliser to be utilised by local farmers in place of fossil fuel derived fertilisers. 

Julian O Neill said, "Biogen is delighted to have successfully commissioned a second AD plant in Wales, working in partnership with Denbighshire, Flintshire and Conwy councils to divert food waste from landfill and maximise the production of renewable energy. This project is a clear demonstration of the forward thinking approach adopted by the local authorities across Wales in managing food waste and protecting the environment.”

Cllr Brian Blakeley said, “The creation of this plant was an ambitious project which required each organisation to work in partnership to bring it to fruition.

“It is now up and running and I am delighted that we will have the capacity to divert food waste from landfill and instead, use the waste to generate clean power and biofertiliser.”

The Waen AD plant is the company’s fifth operational plant in the UK, bringing the total amount of waste processed across all Biogen sites to more than 150,000 tonnes per year.