Pictured above: (l-r) Becky Arnold, research scientist at BiogenGreenfinch, meets Malaysia's Minister of Housing and Local Government, Dato Wirra Chor Chee, and the Minister's adviser Yasir Muda Azizi

A Malaysian Government Minister has visited Ludlow to see how food waste is being turned into electricity in an innovative recycling scheme.

Malaysia's Minister of Housing and Local Government, Dato Wirra Chor Chee, recently visited BiogenGreenfinch's anaerobic digester demonstration unit in Coder Road.

The visit was organised by Graham Ashmore of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and Shrewsbury consultancy SKM Enviros following a West Midlands environmental technologies trade mission to Kuala Lumpur.  

Mr Ashmore, who is the international lead for the West Midlands Environmental Technologies Cluster, said: "Malaysia is keen to tackle its waste disposal challenges, and in particular is interested in technologies that can turn waste into energy. 

"It's likely that Malaysia will invite proposals from companies to establish anaerobic digestion facilities later this year.

"With the West Midlands leading the way in this field, our technology is very well placed to enable Malaysia to deliver its plans - and UKTI can help businesses that would like to explore this growing market further.

"We very much welcomed the visit of the Minister to our region and are delighted that he took the opportunity to see food waste recycling in action.

"He was very impressed by the BiogenGreenfinch unit and said he was sure that similar operations would play a part in Malaysia's future."

In a low carbon process, BiogenGreenfinch recycles waste food in its anaerobic digestion units to make renewable energy, leaving a liquid which is returned to the land as a biofertiliser to grow crops.