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Jane Brindle, Technical Advisor at Leo Group and first female chair of the Foodchain & Biomass Renewable Association (FABRA UK) since November last year, looks back on a busy year of changes:
The Annual General Meeting in November marked the end of my first year as Chairman. It has been a very busy time, where did that year go? Looking back, it has been dominated by preparations for changes to Border Controls (and just when everyone is almost ready, they get postponed – start again!) and for the review of Best Available Techniques (BAT) for our industry.
At times this role can be challenging – trying to get people to agree on a solution that suits everyone – or it can be painfully slow as you keep chasing Government Departments for updates. I will never get used to the ‘slower speed’ of Government compared to industry when it comes to implementing change!
There has been an avalanche of Government Consultations on energy saving and carbon taxes this year, although it’s not all hard work and ploughing through hefty documents. I was able to travel to Brussels to meet with the European equivalent of our trade association (EFPRA) and discuss issues affecting renderers throughout Europe.
One of the areas I was keen to work on when I took on the role was to raise the profile of the rendering industry with Regulators and Government Departments. In October FABRA presented to a group from the Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Local Government (covering the whole of the UK) to explain what happens at our sites and what we do with the finished products. This gave us an opportunity to shout about all the benefits of processing animal byproducts and is being followed up with site visits over the coming months.
Now looking forward to the next year. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will be working on amendments to the Animal Byproducts Regulations so that we can keep up to date with the rest of Europe, the BAT review will pick up speed and carbon taxes will no doubt get larger with more consultation documents to go through and data to collect… One thing is certain, it will be another very busy and exciting year.

Omega Proteins Ltd, which is part of the Leo Group and operates an animal by-products processing plant to the west of Penrith, has submitted an application for planning permission to install a district heating system. This project is in line with our corporate strategy and policy, as Leo Group is committed to using the best available techniques and adopting environmentally friendly technologies to help the UK achieve its net-zero ambitions. Protecting the environment and reducing our CO2 emissions is a top priority for us.

Andrew Watt at Maze Planning Solutions, Leo Group’s planning consultant commented: “The Government’s Energy Act became law on 26 October; it includes measures to promote and support the creation of heat networks as a means of addressing the challenges of climate change, so the principles of the scheme proposed for Penrith finds support at the highest level. The construction of heat networks is recognised as a  crucial  part of how the UK  will reach its  net-zero  targets. It is one of the most cost-effective ways of decarbonising heating systems in the UK, which presently rely heavily on boilers fuelled by natural gas and oil.”

This project will harvest waste heat from industrial processes at Omega Proteins Penrith and transfer it via a new dedicated subterranean pipeline to Sewborwens Farm and Newton Rigg Estate where it will be used for space heating of buildings.

The proposed pipeline would be about 2,100 metres long and would run underground. The pipeline route has been chosen to minimise the impact on trees and natural habitats. Most of the route runs through farmland of low ecological value, which can be easily and quickly restored once pipeline construction is complete. Restoration of disturbed land would take place during the development phase, as would any compensatory planting required to support local biodiversity. Once constructed, the pipeline will no longer be visible.

The heat network we are proposing is a closed loop system, with pipes passing clean hot water through the network and returning it to the heat source, where it is recharged and returned to the cycle. The use of heat exchangers ensures that the industrial heat source does not mix with the clean water flowing through the sealed heat network pipes.

Nina Schwarz, PR Manager at Leo Group, said: “The proposed Omega / Sewborwens / Newton Rigg heat network would be the first of its kind in Cumbria. When completed, it also has the potential to expand to heat up to 3,000 homes and businesses in Penrith. And it is another building block and part of our ongoing commitment to introducing environmentally friendly technologies at our Penrith site, with the aim of becoming carbon neutral. For this commitment we have just been awarded the regional Planet Saver Award by Cumbria Chamber of Commerce.”

Leo Group is a finalist in this year’s Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards in the Sustainability category. The award, which recognises the best businesses in Yorkshire, is a calendar highlight of the region and has seen some of the biggest names in business become winners in recent years.

This year’s awards attracted more than 260 entries, which were judged with great care and attention by a group of highly qualified judges in a two-stage process of individual assessments followed by a judging session last week.

The finalists represent the full spectrum and diversity of business and industry, from young entrepreneurs to seasoned leaders in the public and private sectors. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Headingley Stadium in Leeds on Wednesday 22 November.

The Sustainability Award is presented to a company that puts sustainability and the environment at the heart of its business.

Danny Sawrij, CEO and owner of Leo Group, headquartered in Halifax West Yorkshire, said:

“It is a great honour for Leo Group to be shortlisted for this prestigious award and a fantastic recognition of our continued commitment and hard work in introducing sustainable technologies across all our facilities over the last decade.

Yorkshire Post Head of Business and Features Chris Burn said: “A huge amount of work went into picking out the best entries from a very crowded field which was testament to the strength of the region’s business community.

“Just being shortlisted for an award is a real achievement so congratulations to all of those who are finalists.”

As part of the British Chambers of Commerce’s annual Chamber Business Awards 2023, we are delighted to announce that Omega Proteins Ltd Penrith (Leo Group Ltd) has been named the regional winner of the Chamber Business Awards 2023 in the Planet Saver category.

The awards, now in its 20th year, is one of the showpieces of the business calendar, highlighting the role of firms in delivering growth and prosperity for the UK and local communities. The Planet Saver award recognises the work of an organisation with sustainability at the heart of their business. They are fully committed to sustainable best practice and making the world a better and safer place.

We are proud to be this year’s Cumbria Chamber of Commerce regional winner. Protecting the environment and contributing to a sustainable future have been at the forefront of Leo Group’s vision and values over the last four decades, modernising the rendering industry, focusing on environmentally friendly equipment, powering its plants with renewable energy and reducing its carbon emissions.

Danny Sawrij, CEO and owner of Leo Group, said:  “We use pioneering  and environmentally friendly technologies to convert animal waste into valuable, sustainable and reusable resources, reducing the impact on the environment and the communities in which we operate. Receiving this award for our continued commitment is a fantastic feeling.”

Leo Group is delighted to announce the participation of its owner Danny Sawrij, friend and neighbour of Doddie Weir, in the Kenny Logan’s Rugby World Cup Challenge, a 700 mile walk and cycle challenge from Edinburgh to Paris for the Rugby World Cup to raise £555,555 for the MY NAME’5 DODDIE FOUNDATION.

Leo Group is a long-time supporter of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and is proud to be one of the major sponsors of the Kenny Logan’s Rugby World Challenge to raise much needed funds for Motor Neuron Disease research.

On 1 October, Danny will join many others, including celebrities such as Kenny and Gabby Logan, Jimmy Nesbitt, Jamie Bamber and Jason Fox, in this physically and mentally demanding challenge to mark the first Rugby World Cup since the sad passing of Doddie Weir. Participants will cover the 700 miles from Edinburgh to Paris in just seven days, arriving in Paris for Scotland’s match against Ireland in the group stages of the World Cup. The aim of the challenge is to raise vital funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation to support their fight against Motor Neurone Disease.

”The money raised will go towards the research and development necessary to find a much needed cure for MND; the disease that took our dear friend Doddie, who was a neighbour of mine at the farm. Seeing his wit and determination after being diagnosed with the disease was incredible. When you are lucky enough to meet someone with the resilience and determination that Doddie had, it doesn’t leave you. He started this foundation knowing full well that it would make little difference to him personally, but he knew it would make a difference to many others in the years to come. So as a friend and neighbour, it is my duty to do as much as I can for a man like Doddie. Please dig deep, as believe me, I will have to dig deeper. And, believe me, I will ensure that I complete it. Thanks.” Danny Sawrij

Please join us in the fight against MND – Donate safely, and securely here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/danny-sawrij-1694418607155

Leo Group, one of the UK’s leading specialists in animal by-products and renewable energy, headquartered in Halifax, West Yorkshire, has completed the construction of its new maritime storage terminal at the Port of Sunderland.

The storage tanks will hold the oil recycled from Leo Group’s Omega Protein plants across the UK and allows the company to load some of the largest tankers in operation today. This oil, a highly valuable cargo, is shipped to world-renowned energy companies and is used to generate renewable energy as well as being processed into high-tech ‘green’ SAF and HVO fuel. In recent years, demand for biofuel has soared as it has been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to conventional fossil fuels. The oil, a natural by-product derived from animal waste that the company collects across the UK, is a key component in the process of producing an advanced form of biofuel. The oil is also certified with the ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) label, which is used by the industry to distinguish between truly sustainable and unsustainable biomass fuels.

To meet the internationally growing demand for its oil, Leo Group chose the Port of Sunderland for its strategic location on the east coast and access to major transport routes. The company sees this hugely important multi-million pound investment as a crucial building block for the future, as the Sunderland terminal will play a pivotal role in the global export of its oil.

Danny Sawrij, CEO of The Leo Group, said: “We are delighted that our terminal in Sunderland is now operational. It will serve as our main distribution centre for oil and secure our future exports to the EU and other markets around the world, which we expect to increase over time.  As one of the UK’s leading animal by-products and renewable energy specialists, it is great that we are able to recycle 100 per cent of all animal by-products at our sites and help reduce CO2 emissions with our products. A decade ago, you would have buried a dead sheep in the ground with the risk of contamination. Now we can convert the sheep into sustainable aviation fuel and electricity. That’s how far we’ve come.”

Matthew Hunt, Director at Port of Sunderland, said: “Leo Group is the latest in a number of pioneering circular economy businesses to have announced a major investment at the Port of Sunderland and we’re absolutely delighted that its state-of-the-art export facility here in our Port is now ready to start shipping operations to overseas markets. The need for countries the world-over to transition to Net Zero societies has led to soaring demand for clean biofuels such as those produced by Leo Group and we are delighted that the port will play a key role in the growth of the business as it continues to expand its global presence.”

Contrary to popular belief, animal by-products are no longer considered waste, but are recognised as a very valuable material that is processed into ingredients for high-quality modern products.

Recently we were asked how our process for receiving and processing animal by-products at our Penrith site works in terms of odour control, and we thought this would be a good opportunity to explain this in more detail to prevent any misconceptions.

From the collection and delivery of the material to the final processed product and dispatch, we follow a set process and strict quality control underpinned by our GMP+ certification, the world’s largest feed certification scheme, and PAS 99 – Certification covering ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 45001 (Health & Safety Management). Animal rendering is not a dirty business, as some still claim, but takes place in a high-tech facility under completely hygienic conditions and within the requirements of environmental permits and animal health regulations.

The actual process starts at collection. Our transport division, Haulage Holdings, has a large, modern fleet of specialist vehicles that collect Category 3 animal by-products from abattoirs, catering and deboning outlets throughout  the  UK.  Category 3 means that the by-products are actually fit for human consumption, as evidenced by the quality of the oils we produce at our Penrith plant. However, while this material is used in the human food chain in other parts of the world, there is no comparable market for consumption in the UK. A large proportion of the raw material is refrigerated at source and collected promptly so that it is delivered to us as fresh as possible. This makes the odours that can arise during the process of unloading the material by tipping it into large collection bins less strong.

Upon delivery at our Penrith site, all shipments are checked and documented by Quality Control and are processed within 24 hours. In the very rare event that an incoming shipment contains rotten material, it will be rejected by Quality Control as inferior material unsuitable for processing as it would affect the value and suitability of our end products. Rejected material is downgraded and sent to our dedicated Category 1 site in Bradford where it is processed into meat-and-bone meal (MBM) and tallow. Both of these products are then used as raw ingredients in the biodiesel industry and as an alternative to fossil fuels in industries such as power generation or cement production.

We also operate a laboratory on site 24 hours a day with highly qualified technicians who analyse and monitor the raw materials and assess each end product, also for traceability. The laboratory tests for various things, such as: Free Fatty Acids, Nitrogen, Phosphates and Calcium – each of our customers has their own specifications that we have to meet. Our products are recognised worldwide for their quality and our customers include world-renowned pet food brands and energy suppliers who demand only the best.

Before processing, the raw material is tipped into large bins in our dedicated tipping sheds, which operate with closed doors under negative pressure so that any potential odours are kept inside the building. These storge bins are also lidded. The internal building air is extracted to the odour control system of chemical scrubbers and biofilters. If  there are waiting times for trailers to be tipped, they are parked temporarily under cover inside a special trailer shed behind closed doors.

Following unloading at the tipping point, the raw materials are in a completely closed production cycle and are not exposed to the free air. The odours produced during processing inside the cookers and other processing equipment are removed at various extraction points in the production line and treated by thermal oxidisers, which combust the odour-intensive components at temperatures above 850°C. The less odorous internal building air generated in the buildings housing the processing equipment is again extracted to chemical scrubbers and biofilters for purification.

After tipping, the empty trailers are thoroughly washed and disinfected in our specially equipped trailer wash building.

After the raw material has been processed, the oils and fats produced during processing are stored in tanks, while the solid meals are filled into large bags or bulk trailers/containers and prepared for dispatch and shipping.

Our high-quality products made at our Omega Proteins site in Penrith are used as ingredients in pet food, fish feed, oleochemicals, cosmetics, biodiesel production and as sustainable aviation fuel, and are distributed through a global distribution network.

Leo Group is committed to investment and continuous improvement, using the best available techniques to ensure that high operating standards are continually maintained at all our sites. In doing so, protecting the environment, and reducing CO2 emissions are top priorities.

For odour abatement, we use state-of-the-art leading technology, that meets the requirements of sector guidance and best available techniques (BAT). As the primary means of odour control at all our animal rendering sites, we utilise thermal destruction of odours with thermal oxidisers for intense cooker odours and large biofilters to treat the indoor air of buildings.

In this context, we are pleased to announce that we have recently installed a new gas oxidiser as well as a new multi-fuel oxidiser as part of our ongoing site improvements at our Omega Proteins Penrith facility. These new and more efficient models replace the two older thermal oxidisers which have reached the end of their useful life.

The way thermal oxidisers work is relatively simple: Stronger airborne odours are extracted directly from the process equipment, and the odorous compounds are destroyed at temperatures of over 850°C. The de-odourised air is then released from the stack and the difference in temperature when it mixes with the cooler air results in the visible plume of water vapour.

However, operating a thermal oxidiser generally requires a significant amount of energy. Therefore, the units of the new gas oxidiser are designed to recover heat from the combustion chamber and use it to generate steam, which in turn feeds the production process. And the installation of the new multi-fuel oxidiser will allow us to continue our plans to decarbonise the production process by using proven technologies and a choice of sustainable fuels such as solid or liquid biomass (meat & bone meal and biofuel), which have already been used for years by many other industries and pose no health risks to humans or animals. The switch to renewable fuels is also in line with ISO14001 Environmental Management and ISO50001 Energy Management obligations and a legal obligation under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

This enables us to reduce the carbon emissions at our site, further working towards the goal of Net Zero certification. It also offers the possibility to generate electricity from surplus steam using a simple steam turbine. The electricity can then be reused on site to generate steam that is used in the facility’s production processes as part of our commitment to a circular economy.

The new multi-fuel oxidiser was commissioned on Tuesday 21 February after an installation period of two years in accordance with our environmental permit.

Leo Group participates in the Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition (Supplier LoCT), an online learning collaborative that provides guidance on measuring and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions as well as how to set science-based targets for reduction.

We are delighted to announce that Leo Group has now been awarded the Supplier LoCT GHG Scope 1, 2 & 3 Footprint Badge, which represents the progress we have made in reducing our impact on climate change. This means that our company is part of a global community of brands and suppliers that are leading climate change by actively adopting industry best practices to reduce their company’s impact on the climate.

However, the two badges are just the beginning, as we plan to continue working towards becoming a net-zero emissions company.

Watch this space…

 

Announcing the appointment of Jane Brindle, Technical Advisor at Leo Group Ltd, as first female FABRA UK Chairman

Leo Group Ltd is proud to announce the appointment of Jane Brindle, Technical Advisor at Leo Group, as the new and first female Chairman of the Foodchain and Biomass Renewables Association (FABRA UK), the UK’s leading authority on the use, value and biosecurity of animal by-products.

Jane brings significant technical know-how to this high-profile voluntary role, having gained extensive experience in the meat industry for over 20 years before joining Leo Group in February 2011. These years of experience and her keen interest in how the rendering industry fits into the circular economy model and how it contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of the food industry make her well equipped to represent FABRA UK’s members and to liaise with regulators and government departments on various issues. These will range from energy taxes, renewable fuels, environmental permitting and industry best practices to export health certificates to facilitate trade with new countries.

Jane was appointed as FABRA’s Chair at the last AGM on 17 November 2022 for a term of two years. Jane commented: “I would like to express my sincere thanks for the appointment and the trust that Board have placed in me. I look forward to the challenges ahead and I am proud to represent all FABRA members.”

Danny Sawrij, CEO of Leo Group Ltd, said: “As a member of FABRA UK, Leo Group is proud to have a Chair from our organisation for the first time. Jane Brindle has been with the group for over 10 years and has been instrumental in delivering our environmental permit changes for all new processes  introduced across the group. She works closely with the Environment Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), our main regulatory bodies. I cannot think of a better qualified and professional person to represent FABRA in both the UK and the EU.”

The FABRA UK Board commented: “Jane was unanimously approved as Chairman by the Board and will bring a wealth of experience and technical knowledge to the role to assist Adrian Kesterson (Technical Advisor) and Nikki Robertson (Administration Manager) in running FABRA UK.”