Alfa Laval, Bisviridi partner to produce biofuel from organic waste

Alfa Laval, a Swedish provider of heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling technologies, and Bisviridi, an anaerobic digestion (AD) operator in the United Kingdom, are collaborating to increase the sustainability potential of organic and food waste recycling.

Bisviridi is a new company of the BioteCH4 group, also based in the U.K.

The partnership integrates Alfa Laval’s Prodec Oil Plus decanter, designed for oil separation with AD to convert oil and fat waste into biofuel. This process, developed and patented by Bisviridi, produces Bio Crude, an eco-friendly alternative to oil-based fuels.

Bio Crude can be refined into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), aligning with the aviation industry’s decarbonization goals and entering an emerging market.

“The fluctuation in oil prices over the last few years and the need for large biodiesel companies to find new sources of sustainable waste-oil streams has led us to develop a way of harnessing this waste material and diversify the output of the BioteCH4 business, increasing its revenues and sustainability,” says Lee Dobinson, chief commercial officer of Bisviridi. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Alfa Laval, merging our AD expertise with their successful history in separation technology to further refine this process and potentially achieve large-scale production worldwide.”

Carl Rehncrona, business unit president at Alfa Laval, says, “Alfa Laval’s comprehensive product knowledge and global service presence will fully support the entire lifecycle of the decanter skid. Together with Bisviridi, we are setting a new standard in AD, and we firmly believe that we can make a significant positive impact on the industry by transforming food waste and creating a more sustainable and resilient future.”

The Alfa Laval Prodec Oil Plus decanter, a key component in the Bisviridi process, can be integrated into any AD facility. Before methanogenesis, the decanter extracts oil from organic waste, removing oils, fats and grease content. This allows the remaining components to be reintroduced into the AD system with minimal impact on the biogas production process.

The resulting bio-crude boasts purity levels of up to 99.5 percent, Bisviridi says, making it an ideal feedstock for refineries to produce biofuel for the SAF market.