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Kroger to power distribution center with spoiled food
May 21, 2013
Kroger to power distribution center with spoiled food
Kroger has come up with a solution that will put a dent in the food waste generated by the supermarket chain ? it will turn it into biogas energy that powers a distribution center.
Kroger is the biggest supermarket chain in the U.S. with 2,400 supermarkets in 31 states. Any food that can’t be sold or donated will help power its 650,000-square-foot Ralphs/Food 4 Less distribution center in Compton, California.
An anaerobic digester will process more than 55,000 tons of food waste a year, about 150 tons a day, providing 20 percent of the facility’s energy. And it will use 150 zero emission fuel cell forklifts to do the job. The system will also reduce truck trips by more than 500,000 miles each year. Rather than making special trips to haul food waste to landfills or waste-to-energy plants, the biodigester will be on-site. The same trucks that deliver food to supermarkets from the distribution center will make their return trip with food waste from supermarkets.
Kroger’s biogas system is designed and operated by Boston-based FEED Resource Recovery, Inc., which has developed a closed-loop, zero waste solution for the food industry.
Kroger says its investment in the biogas digester will be paid back within five years and an 18.5 percent return on investment. It’s considering adding biogas to other distribution sites.
Read more at GreenBiz.
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