The energy potential of FOG waste from homes, restaurants and sewers is well known, and technologies and projects that capture and reuse this valuable resource are now coming into play.
Eco-Clarity, an London-based company with a manufacturing facility in South Africa , has developed a revolutionary technology for the recovery of FOG.
See pages 4-8 for Drain Trader’s December issue.
Click Here to Read more: Drain Trader December 2023 Issue
Eco Clarity has developed a revolutionary technology for the recovery of Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) generated by Food Service Establishments (FSE’s). Eco Clarity’s FOG Consolidation Hubs provide accessible disposal locations for haulers to sustainably dispose of FOG containing wastewater before it enters the sewer network or waste water treatment works, where it can be a major cause of blockages, spills and reactive and costly clean-up operations.
Eco Clarity is able to consolidate the FOG present in this waste into a feedstock suitable for Bio Diesel production, which is then blended with the Diesel available at all service stations. This enables FSE’s, Haulers and Water Utilities who use Eco Clarity’s FOG Consolidation Hubs for disposal of their waste, the ability to create a circular economy, by running their diesel cars and trucks on the waste that they generate.
Eco Clarity is excited to be working with Southern Water to launch this service in the next 12 months.
Fat clogging a sewer pipe (Image: Southern Water)
A water company hopes to use the fat which usually clogs its sewer network to power buses in the city.
Fat, oil and grease (FOG) from participating food outlets in Brighton and Hove will be delivered to Southern Water’s treatment works where it will be mixed with FOG removed from wastewater and turned into a biofuel.
The company is targeting restaurants which collect FOG in their fat traps, rather than pouring it down the sink, which it says will expose those not using the traps, leaving them open to prosecution.
Stephen Williams, Southern Water’s network protection and enforcement officer, said: “FOG is a real curse for sewers.
“It’s a major cause of blockages and resulting pollution, but it’s also a resource.
“Getting usable oil out of the 51 million litres of wastewater that pours into Peacehaven every day, along with collections from businesses, and turning it into a useful fuel would benefit all of us and the planet.”
Fat clings to the inside of sewer walls (Image: Southern Water)
The project, which will use a waste conversion system from green technology company Eco-Clarity, could begin “as early as next year”.
And if the scheme works, it could be rolled out across the entire Southern Water network region.
Christopher Clemes, chief executive and co-founder of Eco Clarity, said: “We have developed a revolutionary technology for the recovery of FOG generated by food service establishments (FSEs).
“Eco Clarity’s FOG consolidation hubs provide accessible disposal locations for haulers to sustainably dispose of FOG containing wastewater before it enters the sewer network or waste water treatment works, where it can be a major cause of blockages, spills and costly clean-up operations.
READ MORE: Southern Water told to pay out almost £30 million
“Eco Clarity is able to consolidate the FOG present in this waste into a feedstock suitable for bio-diesel production, which is then blended with the diesel available at all service stations.
“This enables FSEs, haulers and water utilities who use Eco Clarity’s FOG consolidation hubs for disposal of their waste the ability to create a circular economy, by running their diesel cars and trucks on the waste that they generate.”
The company is hoping that bus companies will be interested in using the biofuel. Brighton and Hove Buses has told The Argus that there are currently no plans to use it.
Nick Hill, commercial director at the bus company, said: “We have no plans to use these particular biofuels currently, but we are always open to new ways of reducing our emissions.”
A year has elapsed since the editor interviewed South African entrepreneur Christopher Clemes, who jointly invented and patented the Eco Clarity technology solution in the UK, which separates problematic FOG (Fat, oil and grease) from wastewater. The process recovers a valuable feedstock for the manufacture of biodiesel while returning effectively cleaned wastewater to the waste stream. (See article: Taking the fat out of fatbergs – CBN April 2022 – www.cbn.co.za/online-edition/cbn-april-2022).
Keen to follow the development of this revolutionary system, the editor tracked down Chris Clemes on a recent visit ‘back home’ to the Cape where in addition to some R&R, Chris will be in discussions with personnel from Fabrinox in Paarl, the manufacturers of the containerised Eco Clarity plant units.
“Since our first pilot plant was set up in Amsterdam two years ago for one of Europe’s largest biodiesel producers, Argent Energy, we have been investing in an R&D phase which has resulted in a third generation plant which was recently installed at Argent’s site in Stanlow, Ellesmere Port in the UK” explained Clemes.
“What we have uncovered is that there is huge demand for our recovery technology. There are about 142 000 food service outlets in the UK, each producing around 140ℓ/month of between 5 – 30% FOG which has to be disposed of in a responsible manner by GTW (Grease Trap Waste) hauliers.
“Our model of placing an Eco Clarity hub at a wastewater treatment site within 1 hour’s drive for the hauliers means that they benefit by completing more trips / day and greater revenue, and for the wastewater utility, the recovery of treated wastewater that previously untreated, could interfere with the biological functions of the plant. In a worst case scenario, illegally dumped FOG from overflowing grease traps causes sewer pipe blockages called ‘fatbergs’.
“The big bonus is that the concentrated FOG – up from an untreated 5%, is now +95% pure and of real value to the manufacturers of biodiesel.
“Our original 50t capacity plant has now been doubled in capacity to 100t with bigger tanks and our fourth generation plants, two of which are currently under construction by Fabrinox, will be delivered to a UK customer by October this year.
“We have now reached an R&D milestone where fourth generation plants can now be considered for commercial manufacture on an assembly line as a fully packaged and guaranteed treatment system. Based on our research and discussions with customers and stakeholders we conclude that it’s entirely feasible to have up to 40 plants operating in the UK and Europe by 2026.
“We have already received offers from water utilities throughout the UK to install Eco Clarity units at numerous sites and enquires are pouring in from Europe, Middle East, India and China.
“Twelve UK GTW hauliers have over 400t of FOG waiting to be processed at any one time and original estimates of 20t/week/plant of pure FOG have been revised upwards to a much higher potential of pure FOG per /week/plant. We have also received enquiries from a number of new potential sources of FOG, for example from sites which are currently spreading to land.”
“In order to meet demand, Fabrinox are ramping up production and envisage a dedicated production line of Eco Clarity units. We are also in discussions with them for greater involvement of their service and facilities such as procurement and installation teams for the UK.
“Under investigation is a solar powered Eco Clarity unit and the original Amsterdam pilot plant is being returned to SA to be used as an R&D test bed as local conditions here are different to those encountered in Europe, with scope for testing for our similar markets globally.
“I have my eye on the first Eco Clarity plant in SA being installed at ‘the restaurant capital’, Franschhoek although we are in discussions with several municipalities in the Western Cape who have expressed interest in the concept” he concluded.
Eco-Clarity has created a patented technology solution that easily collects and separates fat, oils and grease (FOG) from waste water through an efficient and fully automatic hub system made up of three scalable containers.
The system enables FOG to be separated before it enters the water system and becomes problematic. The cleaned water is then reused or safely returned to the waste stream. In turn, the successfully separated FOG becomes a sustainable raw material that can be used to produce second-generation biodiesel – feedstock for energy recovery in the UK and EU, which qualifies for triple counting renewable energy directive (RED) credits.
The oil recovered goes up from 5% to +95% concentration after going through the Eco Clarity system, turning it into a valuable raw material for biodiesel production.
Eco Clarity is transforming the wastewater disposal process by extracting a valuable raw material whilst improving the quality of the separated water for reuse or for conventional treatment.
A standard Eco Clarity hub can handle 10 tons of FOG containing waste water in 10 minutes, which can then go on to begin separation immediately, and begin harvesting within 30 minutes. The hub’s efficient system currently uses just 25% of the energy typically used in similar processes, with temperatures never exceeding 60 degrees to ensure low energy consumption.
Eco Clarity is focused on revolutionising the way wastewater is handled by turning the process from one of disposal, into one of conversion into effectively clean water, by filtering out beneficial oil residues which can then be used as raw material for the production of biodiesel – a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel, which can reduce GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions by around 90%, directly impacting the world’s carbon footprint.
Turning FOG wastewater into biodiesel feedstock and clean water for reuse
The latest Eco Clarity Waste Conversion Hub has been set up in the UK, at Argent’s site in Stanlow, Ellesmere Port. Eco Clarity is focused on revolutionising the way wastewater is handled by turning the process from one of disposal, into one of conversion into effectively clean water, by filtering out beneficial oil residues which can then go on to be used as raw material for the production of biodiesel.
Eco-Clarity has created a patented technology solution that easily collects and separates fat, oils and grease (FOG) from waste water through an efficient and fully automatic hub system made up of three scalable containers.
The system enables FOG to be separated before it enters the water system and becomes problematic. The cleaned water is then being reused or safely returned to the waste stream. In turn, the successfully separated FOG becomes a sustainable raw material that can be used to produce second-generation biodiesel.
A standard Eco Clarity hub can handle 10 tonnes of FOG containing waste water in 10 minutes, which can then go on to be separated and harvested within 30 minutes. The hub’s efficient system currently uses just 25% of the energy typically used in similar processes, with temperatures never exceeding 60 degrees to ensure a low energy consumption.
The oil recovered goes up from 5% to 98% concentration after going through the Eco Clarity system, turning it into a desirable raw material for biodiesel production.
Eco Clarity is transforming the wastewater disposal process by extracting a valuable raw material whilst improving the water quality that is being disposed of.
The first tonnes of biodiesel made from the FOG from the EcoClarity hub has been produced. By turning the feedstock into second-generation biodiesel, a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel, this material will go on to reduce GHG emissions by around 90%, having a direct impact on the world’s carbon footprint.
Argent always aims to accept a wide range of highly de-graded waste fats, oils and greases to give them a new purpose as high quality biodiesel to help towards the decarbonisation of transport, among other industries.
Through Eco Clarity and Argent Energy, valuable renewable resources have been created from materials that may otherwise have ended up discarded.
Eco Clarity works with Argent on decarbonisation
Recent Comments