2022 In Review

We would just like to take a few minutes to update you on the progress we have made during 2022 to support renewable energy production in the South West.

We currently operate five Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facilities which generate renewable gas and electricity that is fed directly into the local networks. During 2022, we provided enough green gas to entirely power 11,139 homes for the whole year, and enough electricity for 9,827 homes. This locally produced energy reduces our reliance on the imported fossil fuels which have caused so many problems following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The AD process uses farm waste, food production by-products, and sustainably grown crops to feed the facilities. Since we buy all our feedstock and services locally, much of our revenue is spent in the local economy. In 2022, we spent over £13m on South West suppliers.

In particular, we have been pleased to support many Devon and Somerset farmers during a period where inflation has seen their costs rise sharply. The organic fertiliser our AD process generates (‘digestate’) has protected farmers against the huge price increase in artificial fertilisers. As well as crops for AD, this digestate has been used on food crops, which may not otherwise have been affordable to grow.

We remain keen to encourage people or organisations to visit us. You can see how our AD process works and have a chat about how we can do more to support communities, protect the environment, and help our region reach Net Zero. We welcomed over 200 visitors to our plants last year and want to beat that number in 2023.

In June, we were awarded certification to the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC). This is an internationally recognised standard that traces the whole sale and supply chain of a business to test its green energy production. ENGIE UK is the first AD company in the South West to reach this standard, and one of only nine others in the UK.

“ENGIE UK are a fine example of how well structured AD supply chains underpin the circular economy.”
– Darren Thomas, Director at DoubleHelix (ISCC Certification Body)

Exeter Living Award also announced us as the first winners of their Sustainability category in March for “heading the race towards a green future”.

At ENGIE UK, we are constantly trying to find innovative technologies and companies who we can collaborate with to become more environmentally friendly. Last year, we worked with the Universities of Exeter, Plymouth and Surrey as well as many locally based companies. Exciting initiatives included hydrogen production, smart grids, district heating networks, and shellfish farming. We look forward to developing these ideas into full scale trials during 2023.

Our team attended several events to encourage idea sharing, including the South West Innovation Roundtable with Insider Media and the Net Zero: The Leadership Challenge Roundtable with Exeter University Business School and Exeter City Futures. We welcomed the next generation of innovators to learn from our AD plants, including Open University Engineering students, Nuffield Farming scholars, and Young Farmers.

In 2022, we have been involved in several community initiatives. We proudly sponsored South Molton in Bloom – the team received a Gold Champion of Champions award at RHS South West in Bloom. We have also sponsored Exeter Athletic Rugby Club and Emma Sing, a rising star of the England Red Roses rugby team.

We have hosted site tours for many local interest groups, including the Exeter Professional Engineers Club, Teign U3A and the Sid Vale Association.

We are already looking to the year ahead – for example, by planning to install cutting-edge carbon capture technology at our AD plants. We will continue to innovate and collaborate in 2023, maximising the benefits of AD for the environment and the local community.