The development of a 500 kilowatt anaerobic digestion (AD) facility on their Portadown farm three years ago has provided the Hunniford family with an additional revenue stream. Victor Hunniford explains more.
Designed and constructed by Moore Biosystems in Ballymena, the fully licensed and accredited plant was the first of its kind in Northern Ireland to utilise food and bio waste exclusively. The facility includes a feedstock pasteurisation unit which utilises the heat available from the electricity generation process to bring all inputs up to a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius.
Having initially utilised a feedstock comprising a mix of cattle slurry, abattoir and industrial waste materials, the Hunniford disgestor now accepts abattoir waste only. Among the meat processors the raw materials are sourced from are Dunbia, which closes the loop of the supply chain as the family have been long-term suppliers of livestock to the processor.
“We used to use the processed digestate as a bio fertiliser on our grassland and cereal acreages, but a recent change in regulations means it is now supplied entirely to the national grid. Everything that is drawn in is drawn back out again,” Victor says.
The plant, which is certified to PAS110 standards, can produce 500 kilowatts of electricity from up to 40,000 tonnes of waste. This environmentally friendly renewable energy source has the capacity to supply 1,200 homes with electricity, 24 hours a day. Hunniford Energy is a member of the Renewable Energy Association (REA) which has been representing the anaerobic digestion sector since its launch in 2001 and is recognised as a future major contributor to renewable energy in the UK.
Along with his father Richard Snr and brother Richard Jnr, Victor runs farms on both sides of the Irish Sea. Not only are the Hunniford’s large beef and cereal farmers, they are also apple growers and run a successful agri-contracting business.
“We raise beef cattle both here and in Scotland. We supply about 900 cattle a year to Dunbia,” he explains.
“We farm 900 acres in Portadown and rent other land in the area also. We grow between 800 and 900 acres of cereal per year, including maize, barley and wheat, and have a drying facility beside our digestor. In addition, we have a 70-acre orchard where we grow apples.”
Richard Snr and Victor make weekly trips to the family’s second farm in Portpatrick, which is situated only a few miles from Stranraer on the west coast of Scotland. The Hunnifords purchased the 400-acre farm 14 years ago when, according to Victor, “land in Scotland represented good value for money”.
The family are also well-known agricultural contractors, offering local farmers everything from silage and maize cutting to slurry spreading, ploughing, reseeding, excavating and hedge-cutting. Committed to providing a top-class service and complete customer satisfaction, the agri-contractor has a wide range of machinery to carry out your work quickly and efficiently, providing you with value-for-money and an alternative to investing in your own expensive equipment.
The firm’s success is down to the knowledge, skill and expertise of its staff as well as the quality of its equipment. The Hunniford team delivers the value and quality farmers expect from their agricultural contracting partner.
The Co. Armagh-based concern runs a fleet of seven New Holland tractors and an array of other plant / equipment, including a Claas combine harvester, forage harvester, round balers, slurry tankers, loading shovel, excavator, power harrows, ploughs, sowers and hedge-cutters. The latest addition is a new Lemken four-metre drill. Two trucks (a 40ft Volvo and a Scania rigid) cater for the transport requirements of the anaerobic digestor.
All machines are upgraded on a regular basis to avoid breakdowns and downtime, with service and maintenance being carried out both in-house and by local dealers.
“We cut about 4,000 acres of silage every year. We provide a complete agri-contracting service really. Planting maize is about the only thing we don’t do,” Victor continues.
“We employ six full-time machine operators who are prepared to work around the clock during busy times to keep our clients happy. Our service is second to none in terms of reliability, value-for-money and the quality of our machinery and work.”
Completing the Hunniford clan are Victor’s mother Jill, who is a schoolteacher by profession, and Emma-Jane, who is a veterinary surgeon. Needless to say, both ladies have also played important roles in the success of the family’s various enterprises down the years.
Hunniford Energy
76 Moy Road,
Portadown,
Co. Armagh BT62 1QW
Telephone: 077 88496756
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 1, January/February 2017
