17 May 2013
Managing Editor of Waste Management World magazine
U.S. retail giant, Kroger (NYSE: KR) has opened a 55,000 ton (50,000 tonne) per year anaerobic digestion food waste to biogas facility to help power its Ralphs/Food 4 Less distribution centre in Compton, California.
According to the company the facility will produce enough energy annually to power the over 650,000 square feet (60,300 square metre) of its distribution centre.
The Kroger Recovery System utilises anaerobic digestion to transform organic food waste that cannot be sold or donated, as well as onsite food-processing effluent which is then turned into power for onsite operations.
By diverting 150 tons (137 tonnes) of food waste per day, the company said that the plant will also reduce area truck trips by more than 500,000 miles each year.
In total the Kroger said that the plant will produce enough biogas to offset more than 20% of the energy demand of the Ralphs/Food 4 Less distribution centre.
Combining the use of renewable energy power with more than 150 zero emission fuel cell fork lifts, the Ralphs/Food4Less distribution centre, Korger claimed that the facility is now one of the greenest and most efficient of its kind.
The Kroger Recovery System is designed and operated by FEED Resource Recovery, a clean technology company founded in Boston.
A video looking at the installation can be seen below:
