Albion Environmental deliver a substantial report into the feasibility of developing a plant to process High-Risk animal waste in Scotland

Background

The significant growth of the fish-farming industry on the coast of Scotland, together with the ever-tightening regulatory framework, combined to create a major headache for a Ross and Cromarty Enterprise client.

Despite its ostensible simplicity, intensive fish farming creates very substantial waste by-products which, because of their concentration, can be extremely hazardous.

Client Brief

The client brief was to identify the viability of a treatment facility to handle fish waste products based in Inverness, UK. We worked initially with Ross and Cromarty Enterprise to define the exact scope of their requirements and to confirm the data available:-

• What is the context within Scotland?
• Are there suitable sites?
• What is the legislative framework?
• Competition / external factors

Our Research

A detailed examination was undertaken into the current conditions and likely trends including:-

• Current disposal routes
• Environmental legislation
• Competition from Norway
• Project costs

Implementation

The project involved identifying the current fish waste production in the UK and the current disposal options and routes. Due to animal by product legislation and storage and handling difficulties the treatment options for this type of material are extremely complicated. Treatment facilities in the UK and Norway were identified as were experimental facilities and processes.

Results

Due to competitive pressure from a non EU country (Norway) we recommended that the project was not viable. The project viability would change with either

• Implementation of the same EU legislation in Norway
• A change in interpretation by the UK Government.

Since both of these were unlikely to happen we therefore proposed a series of viable, sustainable, and environmental compliant on farm solutions for the aquaculture industry to employ.

Although disappointed, our client Ross and Cromarty Enterprise, were pleased that the lack of project viability had been identified at an early stage and that alternative approaches had been provided.