A company is looking to establish the UK’s first manufacturing plant to produce industrial chemicals from domestic and commercial waste.
Solvert Ltd said it was looking at sites on Teesside in the
North East to establish the £100 million facility, which would be the first to produce
chemicals such as hydrogen, acetone and n-butanol, from
organic waste. These chemicals are usually made from non-
renewable petrochemical sources. The company claims the process it is developing is environmentally-friendly.
"Organic waste, such as spoilage from supermarkets or the leftover
food from our kitchens at home and in restaurants, holds immense potential for conversion into valuable chemicals to replace those produced from crude oil," said Solvert’s ceo Kris Wadrop. "These products form part of our daily lives as they are used extensively to produce paint or plastics such as Perspex," he added.
Funding secured
Solvert said
waste management legislation and demand from companies keen to improve their environmental credentials were key drivers in developing the project, which so far has secured funding worth £200,000. It includes a £100,000
investment from the Finance for Business North East Proof of Concept Fund managed by Northstar Ventures.
"This is an exciting project which could have a very positive regional and environmental impact," said Stephen Price, Proof of Concept manager at Northstar. "Furthermore, Solvert’s advanced
technology and scalable business model could see the company become a leader in the renewable chemical sector."
Solvert, which has also secured grant support from Business Link and the North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC), said it was looking at four possible sites for the manufacturing plant including the Impetus Reclamation Site at North Tees, Tata Steel, Wilton and the former ICI site at Billingham.
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www.solvertltd.co.uk.
