It was a long way from the idea to the final construction of the first gas-to-grid plant for ReFood Germany at the AD biogas plant in Genthin. Therefore, the local ReFood-Management is even happier that the first birthday of the new plant will be celebrated in September 2022.

In the gas-to-grid plant, the raw gas from the AD biogas plant is cleaned of its CO₂ component by using physical absorption after desulfurization, so it can be supplied as biomethane to the National Grid. To purify the raw biogas, an organic absorbent (solvent) is used to selectively remove gas components such as CO₂ and hydrogen sulfide. The entire plant is extremely energy efficient, as no process heat input is required, and the total energy demand is less than 0.2 kWh/mN³ raw biogas.

At maximum capacity, the plant can process 350 standard cubic meters (Nm³) of biomethane per hour and is currently running at 100 percent capacity in normal operation. For the coming years of operation, maximum capacity utilization remains the declared goal. In addition, the company plans to liquefy the extracted CO₂ in the future to use it in technical applications.

The plant cost 1.9 million euros to install. In addition, there were further investment costs of 2.1 million euros for, among other things, the pile foundation of the soil to ensure its load-bearing capacity, as well as for the installation of a modern desulfurization plant and the modernization of the process system of the biogas plant.

The installation of such a plant to produce grid-quality biomethane has several advantages. As an important element of renewable energy concepts, biomethane is an essential component to secure the energy supply of the future. In addition, the sales of biomethane have developed over the years into an efficient alternative to fossil fuels and direct electricity generation via combined heat and power plants. The increasing demand for self-sufficient and above all green energy supply, but also the fact that biomethane, in contrast to energy from direct power generation, can be stored, make this type of energy supply competitive and future-proof.

For the expansion at the Genthin site, the close connection to the National Grid was the key factor for the project realization, because the costs of a price-sensitive connection were avoided. The biogas plant in Genthin is located on the extensive site of a former washing powder factory, and the new plant was smartly positioned so that a future expansion can be implemented without any problems, should a third digester for the biogas plant be planned in the future.

In the UK, ReFood also operates two gas-to-grid plants in Widnes and Dagenham. In addition to the Genthin site, the ReFood plant in Kogel (GER) is also considering the installation of a similar project.

POLAGRA, the largest exhibition promoting food, technologies for the food industry, as well as equipment and solutions for the HoReCa sector, took place on September 26-28. ReFood approaches the gastronomy sector during the event by partnering with the Polish Culinary Cup 2022 (KPP 2022).

Our initial declaration to participate in the POLAGRA Food-HoReCa-Foodtech fair and to be a partner of KPP 2022 initially aroused surprise among the organizers. After explaining the needs of the market and ReFood’s role in food waste management and involvement in the circular economy, we were received with great satisfaction by the organizers. As a partner of KPP 2022, we had two goals. First, the promotion of sustainability solutions, circular economy, education in the field of proper food waste management, and its positive impact on the environment, climate, and business. The second goal was to promote the ReFood service and become better known among chefs and cooks as the right brand and a suitable partner for food waste management. We achieved both goals and generated interest in our business model. In addition, we made some valuable business contacts among restaurateurs and mass catering representatives.

The KPP 2022 ended with a ceremony where we, as partners, presented prizes to the three winning teams. The prizes were vouchers for the purchase of ReFood service in a catering establishment specified by the winners. We are the first company in the industry in Poland to establish contact in this way and begin to build brand awareness among one of the key target groups for our company. We plan to further promote ReFood services and sustainable solutions in the world of gastronomy not only at trade fairs, but also as a partner of congresses and meetings of chefs.

A new ReFood site is being built in Mszczonów, Poland. In the process, we emphasize a good relationship with the local community.

In October 2021, we started the construction of a new ReFood plant in Mszczonów near Warsaw. The completion of the production and office buildings is currently in progress. The new ReFood plant will be one of the most modern plants in the SARIA Group and one of the most modern plants in the Polish industry. The plant is scheduled to open in early 2023.

Being a good neighbor

As a socially responsible company, we want to help and support local communities wherever we have a presence. To help local authorities cope with the wave of Ukrainian refugees, we handed over 100 sets of books (Polish language manuals and a Ukrainian-Polish dictionary) to the deputy mayor of Mszczonów in the second half of May. The textbooks and dictionaries went to children studying in six elementary schools in Mszczonów commune.

Our customers are becoming more active on the Internet and have a greater influence for the purchasing decisions of others. Therefore, companies must not only convince consumers, but listen to them, care about them and build long-term relationships with them.

This is exactly what we are working on at ReFood: listening to customers and offering them our help so that they can dedicate all their time to the growth of their business. Therefore, in July, ReFood Spain launched its first email marketing campaign to inform our UCO (Used Cooking Oil) customers in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia about a change in the legislation, which they had to implement immediately so that we could continue to provide them with a daily service. To help them adapt to the new regulations, we also offered them a free ReFood service that they could request by filling out a simple form, telling us all the information they needed. In this way, we were able to ensure that we continued to offer our service while strengthening our relationship with them.

We consider this campaign a pilot project and want to develop different ways of interacting with our customers. IT solutions will play an important At ReFood, we continue to grow and are committed to a relationship with our customers and suppliers based on transparency and proximity, providing maximum value as their trusted partner.

Today, ReFood France is a unified organization with one mutual goal: to become the No. 1 in France in collecting food waste

The collection and treatment of oil and organic residue had been in existence for several years, but they operated separately under the names Allo à l’huile and Bionerval. In order to harmonize the practices of the SARIA Group, ReFood was created in October 2021.

The ReFood France priorities

To achieve its goal in being the preferred partner for sustainable solutions, the areas of development for ReFood France are multiple:

– Be service-oriented towards the customer and improve communication.

– Optimize the plants (collection centers and treatment stations) to bring them into line with the Group’s standards.

– Increase the valorization of the end products (biogas and digestate).

– Be more responsive to the demands of local communities.

A new regional organization

At the end of 2022, ReFood in France is reorganizing its internal organization to better adapt to current specificities and locations. A regional organization has been set in place.

Each region has its own objectives and the same team organization scheme. This will allow to be more effective locally.