Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) has hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of an anaerobic digester (AD) at its engine plant in Deeside, North Wales (TMUK-D).
Construction will start on the new waste-to-energy plant next month and when complete will supply TMUK-D with green electricity and gas directly via underground cabling and piping, replacing the current grid power supply.
The £282 million privately funded venture has been conceived by D SPV, ABRDN and PWC and is being built by bioconstruct.
The plant will be able to handle around 180,000 tonnes of waste a year, converting this into biomethane by anaerobic digestion.
The biomethane will replace the current natural gas supply, avoiding emissions of around 2,900 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Compost is a byproduct of the process and this will be given to local farmers, supporting the development of a circular economy in the local area.
TMUK-D is set to take a lead in environmental innovation with this project. The plant will be able to end the use of fossil fuel in its processes and serve as a model for sustainable manufacturing within Toyota.
Ken Skates, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, said: “TMUK’s Deeside manufacturing plant is an important player in North Wales’s economy. This development is a key step for the plant to decarbonise its high-value manufacturing operation, and the local partnership on which the project is built represents an exciting collaboration for local businesses and the wider community in North Wales.”
Richard Finchett, director TMUK Deeside, said: This anaerobic digester is a critical step in demonstrating Toyota’s leadership in sustainable manufacturing. We are excited to pioneer this technology, which will not only support our aim of Deeside becoming carbon-zero, but also set new benchmarks for the automotive industry’s contribution to combating climate change.”
Toyota hosts ceremony for £282m AD facility in North Wales
