The plant, sited at a Wessex Water sewage works in Avonmouth, will process 40,000 tonnes of food waste a year from homes, supermarkets and business across the southwest and generate enough energy to power around 3,000 homes.
Operator Geneco, a sister company to Wessex Water, said the plant will produce 10 gigawatt hours of electricity a year from biogas generated through anaerobic digestion.
Speaking ahead of the opening, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister David Heath said: “We see here the ideal balance between good business sense and environmental protection. The Geneco plant is unique by being the first food waste anaerobic plant in Britain to be built in a sewage treatment works. Water companies using their expertise in treating sewage can provide a significant boost to the expansion of waste food anaerobic digestion in this country.
“This could potentially create thousands of new jobs, generate significant amounts of renewable energy, while solving a major environmental issue in the disposal of waste food.”