Member Article

Bio- energy firm opens innovative plant in Liverpool

A cutting-edge green energy firm, which converts commercial food waste to power, is officially opening its new facility in Liverpool, eventually bringing 160 new jobs to the city.

H2 Energy Ltd’s Manufacturing and Innovation Centre is based at Wellington Business Park, north Liverpool

The firm’s first commercial ‘bio-refinery’ unit, which has been manufactured at the Liverpool site, will also be handed over to the company’s first major client.

H2 Energy is one of only a few in the country specialising in small-scale ‘anaerobic digestion’ or AD. The establishment of the company’s first operations and commercial home in Liverpool – and the jobs it brings with it – is a major success story for Liverpool, and has been made possible thanks to support from the Mayor.

The stars of the show at H2 Energy are their hi-tech bio-refineries, which use multiple digestion tanks containing specially cultivated bacteria, to convert proteins, fats and carbohydrates into bio-methane.

Working in the same way as the digestive systems of humans and mammals, the units break down food waste to produce clean bio-methane which is then burnt to produce electricity and heat.

Commercial food waste is a serious problem facing all manufacturers, distributors and retailers of food. Millions of tonnes of costly food waste are generated every year. H2 Energy provides an answer, locating its bio-refineries where the waste is generated. As such, they provide companies with a green and cost-effective means of disposing of their waste, on their own sites, using it to power their businesses, and converting their waste into an asset.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “It’s great news that H2 Energy are officially opening their fantastic new facility in Liverpool. We have been working with them for a number of months to make it happen, because we are excited about the opportunities their innovative business will bring to local people.

“Management of food waste is a real challenge for the major food retailers and I’m delighted that we now have a company, here in Liverpool, who will be working them to deliver effective, eco-friendly solutions. The fact that we are home to one of the few companies in the UK offering this technology will certainly help boost our green credentials, as well as creating much-needed new jobs.

“I’m making it a priority to promote Liverpool as the preferred choice for investment, and I have committed to create 20,000 new jobs for our city. I’ve also pledged to make Liverpool greener, cleaner and healthier, and a leader in the low carbon economy. Our work to bring H2 Energy to this city supports these aims and is testament to our ever-growing ability to attract some of the country’s brightest companies. I wish them every success for the future.”

Kevin Bush, Chairman at H2 Energy, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be opening our wonderful new facility in Liverpool. We have got off to a great start, and are already on-track to exceed our first year target for orders of our hi-tech bio-refineries.

“It’s a really exciting time for H2 Energy. And as part of our official opening, we will celebrate a major milestone – the handover of our first unit, to be used at a site in Carlisle preparing ready meals for a leading supermarket.”

H2 Energy has already taken on more than 30 members of staff, as part of its commitment to create 160 jobs within the firm over the next three years – the majority of them local – with more to be announced in the new year.

All design, research and development, manufacture, field support and commercial activities are located at the Wellington Business Park site. Employment opportunities will include specialist engineering jobs, apprenticeships and business support roles, tying in to the Liverpool In Work programme, which helps get long-term unemployed people into work.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .