Severn Trent Green Power turns food waste into renewable electricity and fertilizer via anaerobic digestion

Severn Trent Green Power operates a network of anaerobic digestion plants across England and Wales that convert household and commercial food waste into renewable electricity and organic fertilizer. The service processes separately collected food waste from local authorities and businesses, using enclosed digesters to capture biogas that powers CHP engines or is upgraded to biomethane for grid injection. The leftover digestate is pasteurized and used as a low-carbon fertilizer on farmland. This model diverts food waste from landfill where it would release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and displaces fossil-fuel-generated electricity. For UK councils and businesses, the service helps meet recycling targets and reduce Scope 3 emissions. The facilities operate under environmental permits and follow PAS110 quality standards for digestate, providing traceability for waste processors and farmers alike. For US readers, this is a concrete example of a regulated utility expanding into circular-economy infrastructure. As more US cities explore separate food waste collection, the Severn Trent model shows how anaerobic digestion can deliver both emissions reductions and renewable energy at scale.