First carbon neutral egg plant planned in the UK

The Lakes Free Range Egg Company aims to become the first UK carbon neutral, sustainable egg packing operation.

The company is updating their operations by installation of key modern technologies and equipment to make operations more effective and sustainable aims to have this restructuring operational by February 2011.

The plan which has been in development for three years, has been specifically designed to achieve net zero GHG emissions by the end of the second year. It will also speed up the packing process by 60%, improve quality control and make it a much more versatile operation.

David Brass, Managing Director at the Lakes Free Rage Egg Company said “We have always been innovators in the world of free range egg production so we see this as just another natural progression. It is pioneering and enhances our ethical credentials even more. More importantly, it will be a real benefit for supermarkets who will be looking for more ethical, sustainable and environmental benefits for their customers.”

The ‘Lakes’ will be heated with solid fuel, using trees from the chicken ranges and factory waste, with ground source geothermal heating for domestic areas. A key innovation is the building management system – it involves automating all electrical and mechanical systems. There will not be a single light switch in the entire building; if the building senses there is no one in an area or in the building it shuts that area down.

Other features which help cut GHG emissions include: Up to 300mm of insulation on all walls and roofs, prolific use of Photo Voltaic cells for solar power, rainwater harvesting for non food critical site use and state-of-the-art LED lighting using 70% less energy than normal.

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Lakes Free Range Egg Company