Sharp’s Brewery Wastewater Treatment Plant

Project’s context & challenges

To support its growing production and reduce environmental impact, Sharp’s Brewery in Rock, Cornwall, invested in a sustainable wastewater treatment solution. As the first brewery in South West England to adopt UASB technology, Sharp’s aimed to turn wastewater into a resource—recovering energy and reducing its liquid waste footprint. The brewery needed a compact, efficient, and future-ready system that aligned with its environmental ambitions.

Customer benefits

Reduces liquid waste sent to municipal treatment by 80%

Converts high-strength wastewater into biogas

Supports energy recovery for on-site heat and power

Enables production expansion with a lower environmental footprint

Delivered with full service and maintenance support

Solution

Nijhuis Saur Industries (NSI), part of Saur Group, designed, built, and commissioned a turnkey wastewater treatment plant for Sharp’s Brewery. The system includes a curved screen for spent grain recovery, a flocculation-flotation (DAF) unit for solids removal, and an AECOMIX™ UASB reactor for anaerobic digestion. A flash aeration step removes hydrogen sulfide before discharge. The biogas produced is reused on-site, supporting Sharp’s sustainability goals and reducing reliance on external energy sources

Project’s context & challenges

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