Two of the firms to pioneer the use of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology for the treatment of municipal solid waste in the UK, Biogen and Greenfinch, have combined forces.

Two of the firms to pioneer the use of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology for the treatment of municipal solid waste in the UK, Biogen and Greenfinch, have combined forces.

Bedfordshire-based Biogen, which builds and operates AD plants to convert food waste and animal slurry into energy and biofertiliser, has acquired Greenfinch, an engineering company that provides AD technology for sewage, slurry and food waste treatment. Greenwich designed, built and runs the South Shropshire Biodigester in Ludlow.

The new company, called BiogenGreenfinch, secured £18 million of funding from parent company, the Bedfordia Group, in order to develop the business, and plans to deliver “a fully integrated AD solution to the agricultural, food, waste and water industries and to local authorities.”

Michael Cheshire, founder of Greenfinch and technology director of BiogenGreenfinch, commented: “Interest in AD has increased enormously over the past two years because of its strong credentials as a low carbon technology, addressing the challenges of landfill diversion, energy costs, fertiliser costs and resource management.

“Britain needs a strong home grown AD industry and BiogenGreenfinch brings together the expertise and resources of two pioneering companies which have invested heavily in the development of the technology for food waste, for agriculture and for the water industry.”