| Energy
Farmers rally to support
AD in Parliament
Earlier this month over 150 farmers, who were either
operators or investors in the anaerobic digestion (AD)
industry, descended on the Houses of Parliament in
numbers that demanded the attention of policymakers.
oined by over 60
Westminster MPs
and Peers –
including Defra’s
Secretary of State,
Liz Truss MP;
Shadow Farming Minister, Nick
Smith MP; and the Chairs of both
the Environment and Energy
Select Committees (Neil Parish MP
and Angus MacNeil MP) – the
event sought to engage political
leaders with a simple message:
AD is much more than just a
source of baseload renewable
energy. It integrates into
agricultural businesses, whatever
the farm produces. A sustainable
farming industry needs anaerobic
digestion, and the Committee on
Climate Change says the UK
needs it to meet our carbon
commitments.
Small-scale on-farm AD delivers
more than just baseload energy;
recognition of the numerous nonenergy benefits should ensure that
AD is commercially viable for
farmers. AD’s non-energy benefits,
which every UK household
benefits from, include: improved
farm resilience; improved soil
health and therefore food
production through nutrient-rich
J
biofertiliser and sustainable crop
rotation models; carbon
abatement (particularly vital for
decarbonising heat, transport and
farming); and enhanced UK selfsufficiency through meeting more
of our own domestic energy and
food needs.
The UK’s agricultural AD market
has grown impressively since
2010: there are now over 180 onfarm AD plants, compared to
around 30 six years ago. Farms
across the UK have been taking
advantage of the technology for a
variety of reasons, as a result of
which there are now more AD
plants in agriculture than in any
other sector.
Steep degression in financial
incentives for small-scale
renewable technologies is,
however, preventing many farmers
from diversifying into on-farm AD.
ADBA is asking the Government to
make the additional funding it has
already committed to renewable
heat available to support smallerscale on farm AD. In the meantime,
farmers considering investing in
AD technology should explore
what potential feedstocks there are
available to them (on-site and from
neighbouring farmers) and what
type of AD equipment would best
suit this mix.
Further information can be
found using our free independent,
expert Farmers’ Consultancy
Service or by coming to our
international trade show event, UK
AD & Biogas 2016, in Birmingham
on 6-7 July, where farmers can find
out more about the technology
available, how to maximise value
from a farm’s on-site resources,
what the Environment Agency will
require and get free advice about
putting together a business plan
and raising finance.
In particular, our annual
Farmers’ Breakfast Briefing on 6th
July from 8.30am at UK AD &
Biogas will help the farming
community – both those looking to
learn more as well as existing
operators – engage with the
challenges, issues and benefits of
managing and engaging with the
AD process. With first-hand case
studies on issues like the best
feedstocks to use, maximising gas
yields, capturing heat and
developing business plans, this
informal Breakfast Briefing will
offer an opportunity to network
and learn best practice from
experienced farming operators.
Visit adbioresources.org/uk-adbiogas-2016
Why are anaerobic digestion and farming the perfect mix?
Providing an on-farm source of energy:
On-site gas, vehicle fuel, heat and/or electricity – farmers can
generate renewable energy to use in their own operations or sell to
the gas or electricity grids
Supporting food production:
Nutrient-rich biofertiliser – known as “digestate”, AD produces a
biofertiliser which can replace artificial fertilisers to provide crop
nutrients.
Ideal component for profitable crop rotation – AD also helps make
break, catch and cover crops economic for farmers, which can
increase subsequent yields of food crops, tackle the spread of
persistent problems such as nematodes and blackgrass or make
unproductive marginal land viable.
Abating greenhouse gas em issions:
Non-energy carbon reduction – AD reduces emissions from rotting
manure and farm wastes, as well as providing low-carbon fertiliser.
The Committee on Climate Change has advised that it needs to be
used more widely on farms to meet the fifth carbon budget.
Improving community relations:
Odour reduction – AD digesters capture the odours from decaying
wastes and, if treated correctly, produce an odour-free digestate.
Rural jobs – the industry already sustains 4,000 largely rural jobs
and could create a further 30,000.
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
April 2016 | Farming Monthly | 33