Hot on the heels of the World Biogas Expo modular SMASH launch.  ALPS Ecoscience is pleased to announce the commissioning of a new biogas feedstock pretreatment project in partnership with Biogen at the company’s Tournagrain biogas facility near Inverness, Scotland.

This is the latest installation of the SMASH anaerobic digestion pretreatment system, further expanding the deployment of the company’s innovative technology across the UK biogas sector. Designed to improve the bioavailability of organic feedstocks before they enter the digester, the SMASH system helps anaerobic digestion (AD) operators unlock greater value from the materials they process.

The images below show the ALPS containerised SMASH units being delivered to the Tornagrain site, where commissioning is now underway. The containerised design enables rapid installation with minimal disruption to plant operations while providing a scalable solution that can be adapted to meet changing feedstock requirements.

Improving Feedstock Bioavailability Through Biogas Feedstock Pretreatment

The Tornagrain facility is an agricultural anaerobic digestion plant processing energy crops and other agricultural feedstocks. These materials contain significant levels of lignocellulosic fibre, making effective anaerobic digestion pretreatment an important step in maximising renewable energy production.
The ALPS SMASH system mechanically conditions these lignocellulosic feedstocks, increasing their bioavailability and making more of the organic material accessible to the microbial community responsible for biogas production. By disrupting the physical structure of the feedstock before digestion, SMASH enables faster biological conversion and helps operators extract more energy from every tonne processed.

The benefits of the ALPS SMASH anaerobic digestion pretreatment system include:

• Increased bioavailability of lignocellulosic feedstocks.
• Improved biogas and biomethane yields.
• Enhanced volatile solids destruction.
• Greater digestion efficiency and process stability.
• Improved overall plant performance and operational economics.

Its modular, containerised design makes the SMASH system suitable for both new-build anaerobic digestion facilities and retrofit projects, offering operators a flexible, scalable solution that can grow alongside changing operational requirements.

A Fully Managed Anaerobic Digestion Pretreatment Service

ALPS Ecoscience delivers far more than pretreatment equipment. Every SMASH installation is supported through a fully managed biogas feedstock pretreatment service, helping customers maximise long-term performance and return on investment. The service includes ongoing biological testing, process optimisation and access to live operational data through ALPS’ digital performance dashboards. By combining advanced pretreatment technology with biological expertise and continuous performance monitoring, ALPS works in partnership with plant operators to ensure each installation delivers measurable improvements in digester efficiency and renewable energy production.

Strengthening the Partnership with Biogen

Mike Platt, Managing Director of ALPS Ecoscience, said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with Biogen on this exciting project at the Tournagrain facility. Biogen has an excellent reputation for operating high-performing anaerobic digestion plants, and we’re proud that our latest modular SMASH anaerobic digestion pretreatment system will help support the continued optimisation of the site. What makes this project particularly exciting is that we’re not simply installing equipment – we’re delivering a fully managed service that combines advanced pretreatment technology with biological expertise, ongoing testing and live performance dashboards to ensure the system continues to deliver maximum value over the long term.”

Supporting Biogen’s Diverse AD Portfolio

Biogen is one of the UK’s leading anaerobic digestion operators, managing a diverse portfolio of both food waste recycling and agricultural AD facilities across the UK. Together, these plants divert organic materials from waste streams, produce renewable biogas and biomethane, and generate nutrient-rich digestate that is returned to agricultural land, supporting a more circular and sustainable economy.
The Tornagrain facility is one of Biogen’s agricultural AD plants, processing energy crops and other agricultural feedstocks. The installation of the ALPS SMASH anaerobic digestion pretreatment system will increase the bioavailability of these lignocellulosic materials, helping to optimise digester performance and maximise renewable energy generation from every tonne of feedstock.

The partnership between ALPS Ecoscience and Biogen reflects a shared commitment to deploy innovative technology to optimise digester performance . As commissioning progresses, ALPS will work closely with the Biogen team through its fully managed service, combining biological testing, performance optimisation and live performance dashboards to optimise the plant and demonstrate the measurable benefits delivered by the SMASH pretreatment technology.

Adam Feneley, Biogen’s CEO, said:

“Biogen are proud to be working with ALPS Ecoscience on the deployment of their SMASH pretreatment system at our Tornagrain site. The collaborative approach to date between the two businesses has been refreshing and we look forward to working with Mike and the ALPS team to make the project a success. “

The Tornagrain project marks another milestone in the rollout of SMASH; ALPS’ modular anaerobic digestion pretreatment technology. As operators strive to maximise feedstock value and renewable energy production, ALPS continues to deliver science-led solutions that improve plant efficiency and performance.