| Energy
KomBio AD plant at a water treatment works
Making FIT payments cost effective through innovative AD plant design
The future of the UK renewable energy sector is at a crossroads , with renewable heat generation in particular , being a primary focus for the UK Government . However , the favoured technology path ahead is still not clear and with ever reducing FIT payments , innovative but cost effective renewable technologies will be a key factor of success .
M artin Grant , Lipp ’ s UK Marketing and Sales Manager , explains why this is especially true in the world of Anaerobic Digestion ( AD ), an area of renewable energy that Lipp has over 40 years of experience in .
In the recent autumn 2015 spending review the UK Government stated that it will be reducing funding for a number of FIT scheme payments to ensure that the UK continues to make progress towards its climate goals , in an efficient cost effective manner - delivering intended savings of almost £ 700 million by 2020-21 .
In terms of Anaerobic Digestion , the present FIT payments place a heavy burden on amortising the initial capital cost as well as the on-going energy generated . Clearly , on this basis , being able to maximise the efficiency of the Anaerobic Digestion process , using the least amount of energy to sustain efficient digestion and biogas release , while reducing the upfront capital costs , will have a big impact on the net return on investment , and therefore payments received . So what are some of the current innovations that can affect this efficiency ?
The LIPP KomBio reactor is an outstandingly economical solution for energy production at biogas plants and stabilisation of sewage sludge . It has been in use in many countries for over twenty years . Quick build times , low investment costs , high operating safety and long service life are all characteristics of this integrated AD system . The KomBio is suitable for small and large plants and complies with Water Utility industry standards .
The LIPP KomBio reactor is an outstandingly economical solution
The KomBio digester system has a modular design : digester chamber volumes ranging from 100 m3 to 2500 m3 per unit are available – with an integrated gas accumulator and all the necessary functional and safety elements in each case . The combination of digester and gas accumulator provides a compact solution and saves on land requirements , expensive pipeline construction and additional containers .
Martin Grant , Lipp ’ s UK Marketing and Sales Manager commented , “ Lipp has installed several thousand AD systems in 80 different countries . The innovative KomBio solution is perfect to operate within the future renewable energy challenges of the UK AD market .”
44 | Farming Monthly | May 2016 www . farmingmonthly . co . uk