Sample report

Food-load estimate report

Worked example: beans, 26 tonnes delivered, 10% packaging. Fictional sample—not a customer record.

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Sample Foods Ltd (fictional)

Beans — food-load estimate

Sample

Illustrative estimate—not for reporting or public carbon claims.

Product and nutrition values

Product: Beans (worked example)
Customer name/reference: Sample Foods Ltd (fictional)
Movement date: Sample movement
Nutrition basis: Per 100 g of food contents
Fat: 0.4 g
Carbohydrate: 15.5 g
Protein: 4.8 g
Fibre: 3.9 g

Load

Load weight: 26,000 kg
Packaging: 10.0 %
Packaging weight removed: 2,600 kg
Net weight of product excluding packaging: 23,400 kg

Methane and potential avoided emissions

Estimated methane per tonne of food: 108.4 Nm³ / t
Potential avoided fossil gas emissions (methane) — per tonne of food: 156.1 kg CO₂e / t
Estimated methane for the load: 2,536.0 Nm³
Potential avoided fossil gas emissions (methane) — per load: 3,651.8 kg CO₂e

(Methane released into the atmosphere has a significantly greater warming effect than carbon dioxide, so preventing leaks matters.)

Transport (separate)

Vehicle: Artic box/curtain
One-way distance: 30.0 km
Transport allocation: 780.0 tonne-km
Transport carbon (emissions added—not a saving): 75.15 kg CO₂e

Working assumptions and sources

Calculation date: 09/11/2026
Factor set: UK-2026-LABEL-1 — UK 2026 transport and theoretical nutrition scenarios
Factor snapshot captured: 2026-11-09T22:02:15.948Z
Methane model: USER-ROUGH-LABEL-1 — Rough nutrition estimate · user-specified assumption
Methane source: User revised specification, 8 November 2026: 10.14×fat + 4.15×carbohydrate + 4.96×protein + 4.15×fibre Nm3/food tonne; theoretical assumption, not an independently verified factor.
Gas conditions: Dry methane at 0 degrees C and 101.325 kPa
Production assumption: 80% of theoretical methane (working range 70–90%)
Share replacing fossil gas after losses and internal use: 100.0 %
Illustrative methane energy conversion: 10.0 kWh/Nm³
Illustrative fossil-gas emission factor: 0.18 kg CO₂e/kWh
Gas assumptions source: User-supplied rough illustration, 8 November 2026; 10 kWh/Nm3 and 0.18 kg CO2e/kWh. Not a verified factor, contractual heating basis or net AD footprint.
Transport factor: 0.09634 kg CO2e per tonne-km
Transport source / year: DESNZ 2026 full set: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-reporting-conversion-factors-2026 ; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a29392bade52dc0882218a8/ghg-conversion-factors-2026-full-set.xlsx (2026)
Transport boundary: Diesel non-refrigerated average-laden HGV; TTW+WTT operational fuel chain, national loading/empty-running assumptions; excludes vehicle manufacture/infrastructure, refrigeration and specialised refuse collection.

Method and limitations

Illustrative estimate—not for reporting. Fictional sample load and customer; not a saved assessment, certification or independent verification.

Methane is theoretical potential, not raw biogas volume or upgraded biomethane. All fibre is treated as digestible, making this an upper estimate; sugars and saturates are not counted again.

Potential avoided fossil gas emissions use assumed methane production, then the share actually replacing fossil gas after losses and internal consumption. 100% replacement is an upper-bound illustration, not measured plant performance.

Estimates assume food in the condition described by the label or reference values. Age, decay, mould, damaged packaging, contamination, storage conditions and plant operation may reduce actual gas yield.

(Methane released into the atmosphere has a significantly greater warming effect than carbon dioxide, so preventing leaks matters.)

This is not a net carbon saving. AD processing, leakage emissions, packaging disposal and other plant impacts are not deducted. Transport remains separate; no treatment-route comparison is made.

Methane uses net food weight; transport carries gross load weight. Methane generation alone does not establish avoided emissions.