A COMPANY which operates a rendering plant at Denholme has completed construction of a new multi-million-pound maritime storage terminal.

Tanks at the Port of Sunderland site will hold the oil recycled from Leo Group's Omega Protein plants across the UK, before it is shipped to energy companies worldwide and used to generate renewable energy as well as being processed to create high-tech biofuel.

The oil is a by-product derived from animal waste which is collected nationally by the company.

Danny Sawrij, chief executive officer of Leo Group, says: "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 have come."

Matthew Hunt, director at the Port of Sunderland, says: "Leo Group is the latest in a number of pioneering businesses to have announced a major investment at the port and and we’re absolutely delighted that its state-of-the-art export facility 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."

The Omega Proteins site at Denholme was the first rendering plant opened by Leo Group, in 1999.

It renders animal by-products unfit for consumption collected from farms and abattoirs nationally, including specified risk material and animals infected with disease.

The rendering process converts animal by-products into protein meals and purified fats. The material is cooked to remove moisture then pressed to separate the fat content from the protein meal. The products created are then used as a raw material in the bio-diesel industry and as an alternative to fossil fuels in industries such as power generation and cement production.

A wind turbine and solar panels at the Denholme site provide its electricity.