Minister outlines biogas "vision" at national farmers' conference
Tuesday 17 February 2009
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| Environment minister Jane Kennedy speaking at the NFU conference this morning calling for anaerobic digestion to power up to two million homes |
The generation of biogas from the nation's food waste, farm waste and sewage sludge could contribute up to 7.5% of the renewable energy needed to hit UK targets in 2020.
That was the claim within the government's new anaerobic digestion "vision" unveiled by environment minister Jane Kennedy this morning at the National Farmers' Union annual conference in Birmingham.
The minister identified farmers as having a key role in helping spread the use of anaerobic digestion technology around the country.
The technology involves organic material being digested by bacteria in huge tanks, which produces a methane-rich biogas and a residue that can be used as an agricultural fertiliser.
It is claimed that anaerobic digestion plants could save the equivalent of a tonne of carbon dioxide emissions for each tonne of food waste used as a feedstock, compared to sending the material to landfill.
The NFU believes as many as 1,000 farms could run AD plants by 2020, alongside 100 large-scale "commercial" plants in which farmers may also have an interest.
The farmers' union said its ambitions for the spread of AD plants would see farmers involved in around 800MW of electrical generating capacity by 2020 - "contributing both heat and electricity equivalent to up to 4.5% of the UK's renewable energy target over the next 11 years.
Shared Goals
The government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published a "shared goals" document today, setting out how farmers, industry, regulators, local authorities and the research community will deliver a network of AD plants around the UK.
Some 35 organisations have signed up to the document so far, including major supermarkets, biogas companies, the water industry, dairy industry, food industry and National Grid.
Defra said initial analysis suggested that more than 100 million tonnes of waste feedstock is available each year in the UK that could produce biogas - including up to 20 million tonnes of food waste, 90 million tonnes of farm waste and nearly two million tonnes of sewage sludge.
Biogas could also be produced by dedicated energy crops, the Department suggested.
It claimed that such feedstocks could result in biogas production that could provide between 10 and 20 TWh of heat and power by 2020.
The technology is already dealing with around two thirds of the nation's sewage sludge, but only a handful of commercial plants are currently using food waste to produce biogas.
"We're producing more organic waste in this country than we can handle, said Ms Kennedy to the NFU conference today.
"There are alternatives to sending organic waste to landfill. Anaerobic digestion is a true solution.
This vision for agriculture and waste management is a step in the right direction.
"This material could produce enough heat and power to run more than two million homes - helping to prevent dangerous climate change by providing a renewable energy source as well as reducing our reliance on landfill," the minister added.
Industry
Defra said anaerobic digestion will be important for the food and drink industry to meet its targets to stop sending packaging waste to landfill from 2015. And, it said the water industry's bid to source 20% of its energy from renewables by 2020 would be assisted by AD projects.
The dairy industry is actively involved in setting up 30 pilot on-farm anaerobic digestion plants by 2010 and three large-scale AD plants by 2015, the government said.
Trade body Dairy UK is currently working with its members on feasibility studies.
The environment department has formed a new Task Group to develop an Implementation Plan for anaerobic digestion. The group will be chaired by Steve Lee, the former Environment Agency policy chief who now leads the waste industry's professional body, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.
NFU renewable energy adviser Dr Jonathan Scurlock welcomed the new Defra vision on AD.
"The NFU has been instrumental in working with Defra on these plans to boost the UK's capability for anaerobic digestion," he said.
"This vision for agriculture and waste management is a step in the right direction and we look forward to working with Stephen Lee of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management to implement these shared goals for anaerobic digestion."
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