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Our
Projects
The Biocentre process has been developed and proven over a series of plants from the 1980s, initially with substantial Government support. In the 1990's the UK was granted derogation from the emerging waste incineration standard for the refined, low chlorine fuel produced using the Biocentre process involving an advanced Mechanical, Biological and Heat Treatment (MBHT) process. This derogation was never implemented into UK regulations, however the Biocentre Fuel can now be certified in a similar way as 'End of Waste' so can be used in standard biomass boilers.
The projects listed on the right are examples of from Biocentre's history (and its predecessor, Advanced Recycling Technologies Ltd, ART), together with more recent partnerships. These more recent projects have achieved funding status, however none have been completed.
With the ever increasing focus on low carbon, high efficiency and resource recovery Biocentre's patented technology is again very relevant in the residual waste - to - resource field. This is one area where the UK truly led the world, and now has an opportunity to realise the potential of this uniquely efficient process.
Biocentre Resources was founded in 2022 to harness the opportunity, business, environmental and resources benefits which the proven, patented Biocentre technology can offer as we seek to move to net zero - zero waste, and zero carbon. The Company is working with business, community and local authority partners to realise the vision of sustainable waste-to-resource treatment within a sustainable, community engaged circular economy framework.
Slough Fibre Fuel - Part of Slough Heat and Power. 2003-20
The Fibre Fuel plant used part of the Biocentre process to clean and sort mixed packaging waste to produce a high biomass fuel pellet used in co-firing with coal in the adjacent Heat and Power plant, delivering substantial carbon and other benefits.
Castle Bromwich. Advanced MBHT (Biocentre) Plant. 1989-1998
This plant used the full Biocentre process (excluding additional plastic separation) to produce a high quality fuel, pelletised and used in place of coal successfully on many sites. The plant was decommissioned in 1998 when the emergence of the waste incineration directive (WID) imposed financial and legal barriers to use. These barriers have now been reversed, there are significant financial and carbon benefits to using the Biocentre fuel in place of fossil fuels or virgin biomass.
Biocentre Birmingham - Altitude. 2010 (Finance withdrawn)
The first Biocentre plant due to be owned and operated by the Company was fully planned, planning consented and funding agreed from a syndicate including Cargill Inc and Wellington Partners in 2011. Cargill withdrew for unrelated US corporate reasons and the project was never completed.
Community and Environmental
Support
The Biocentre process delivers substantial economic and environmental benefits, and offers a highly sustainable alternative to incinerators - Energy from Waste plants as they are often called.
In fact the main function of an energy from waste plant is to 'git rid of' waste as an alternative to landfill, or more correctly incinerate resources. The majority of waste burnt in these plants is recyclable, so the plants destroy / lose much valuable resource such as heavy metals, while produce toxic residues and emissions. These plants typically only convert 20% of the energy available in the waste into useful electricity - typically the majority of this energy comes from burning plastic. (see blog for details). As a result these so called energy from waste plants are extremely expensive and inefficient generators of electricity, 70% of which comes from burning plastic, a fossil fuel. EfW plants are very expensive, which is why local authorities are being persuaded to enter into 25 year contracts to build incinerators - this in turn means only the biggest companies can bid for these contracts which then lock communities into waste treatment which has a hugely detrimental impact on the environment.
For this reason many communities are looking for sustainable alternatives, and the advanced MBHT process from Biocentre offers substantial carbon and cost benefits. Typically the capital cost of a Biocentre plant will be 10-20% of that for an incinerator, and the cost per tonne to operate also less than 20% of the EfW alternative. However Biocentre lacks the big company backing to bid for the big contracts, and has been supporting local communities and councils to find sustainable alternatives.
In an innovative, community led model, Biocentre is able to offer communities in bidding syndicates low cost or free licence to its technology and is committed to triple bottom line projects - projects that deliver economic, environmental and community benefit.
Community R4C - Gloucestershire. 2015 - present
In 2015 a innovative Community Benefit Society (a form of community owned limited liability company) was formed to drive a groundbreaking model to build a better way in Gloucestershire.
Community R4C - Vision
The plan is to build a community, council, business partnership to minimise waste, reuse and recycle, protecting resources environment and carbon footprint. Mixed "Waste" (previously called residual waste) will be processed by advanced MBHT plant using the Biocentre technology under free licence - yielding high grade recyclates, and achieving a recycling rate of up to 95%. The biomass rich fuel is expected to achieve 'end of waste' status so can be burnt in conventional biomass boilers in place of fossil fuels or
Incredibly this Community business raised over £200k in crowd funding, and a further £200k+ of pro-bono legal work. It has won the active support of a wide community across the country - including actor Jeremy Irons and environmentalist Jonathon Porritt.
The County Council has built its incinerator, however this has no pre-treatment - so over 60% of the material that is burnt is recyclable, and most of the energy comes from burning plastics a fossil fuel.
Community R4C, plans to work with future administrations, councils, business partners and community to deliver a plant which can substantial reduce the incineration of recyclable material and plastics to delvier substantial carbon savings, resource and local economy benefits and cost reduction.
R4C In Your Town?
We welcome approaches from community groups and local councils looking to building a sustainable alternative to incinerators or landfills, utilising the 'R4C' approach and a 'second chance recycling' plant built using an advanced MBHT process. Biocentre will offer supportive community terms for licence of its process and support in developing, building and funding such a plant with suitable commercial partners. This approach should deliver a cost to councils of less than 50% of an EfW plant, shorter, more flexible contract periods, synergy with local recycling and business opportunities and a very substantial carbon footprint benefit.
