Energy crops

 Energy – The Solution is in the Maize

Severn Trent Water is a water and waste water company - so would it surprise you to learn we run a considerably sized sweetcorn farm?

Stoke Bardolph farm, near Nottingham is part of Severn Trent Water's significant farm land-holding and business. Historically, digested sludges from the sewage treatment process have been spread to land and though the crops do not go direct into the human food chain they are used in animal feeds.

Maize is widely grown to feed many dairy and beef herds, and to fuel biogas energy plants all over the world. The maize digestion technology has been pioneered in Germany primarily and we hope it will make a large contribution towards Severn Trent Water's renewable energy targets. April 2009 saw us break ground at the site as we and our delivery partners Interserve and Schmack AG look to build the first industrial scale plant of its type in the UK.

Schmack AG bring significant experience in delivery of maize digestion plants from Germany where the technology has been proven over recent years. Construction is anticipated to be complete by April 2010, with full production output around October 2010.

We are now on the hunt for our next sites to keep up the momentum we have achieved.