Brewer trying for energy self-sufficiency

I've posted several reports (here, here and here) of U.S. breweries working to become "greener" facilities.

Now, an English brewer is going them one better, according to this report on the Energy Current news site:

Beer waste can power brewery

A U.K. brewery has taken a major step towards being self-sufficient in energy. Scottish and Newcastle (S&N) will be the first in the world to produce both electric and heat from spent grain, a by-product of the brewing process.

Wartsila has been awarded two contracts to supply and install equipment for two biomass-fuelled combined heat and power plants (CHP) at premises in Manchester. The CHP plants will each have a thermal output of 7.4 MWth and an electrical output of 3.1 MWe.

The plants, which will burn a mixture of spent grain and wood chips from local sources, are due to start operations in the first and second quarters of 2009, producing steam and electricity for the breweries' processes and exporting excess electricity to the local electricity network.

S&N will earn Renewable Obligation Certificates for its production of renewable electricity. These BioPower plants will help the UK meet its target of having renewables power 10 percent of the country's electric supply by 2010.

S&N Project Manager Andrew McMurtrie said, "We believe the investments make good commercial sense, providing some protection from the volatility of the energy markets, as well offering additional security of supply."

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