Page 2. Farming Express
generating capacity of over 130MWe, against mono maize feedstock
we fully understand the fortunes and AD plants without pre-treatment,
woes of the pan-European farming
consistently yield 35% more biogas
community. Whilst several were happy production – time after time – with
to adopt the German mono-maize
less “fermentable biomass content”
model, many were not; requiring their present with in the residual digestate!
AD plants to be bespoke with the
35% is a big and important number,
ability to adapt to “life-style” changes, and BTS Biogas has discovered that it
and therefore be able to accept a wide can mean different things to different
range of agricultural feedstocks –
customers.
some good, other perhaps less.
•
After several years of evolution,
• For those with established AD
three BTS Biogas technologies have
plants experiencing power
come to the forefront; each enabling
plant production issues, BTS
pre-treatment of very different, and
Biogas re-powering by means
sometimes problematic biomass
of pre-treatment is now an
not previously entertained for AD.
option.
These technologies, which when
• For those will established
incorporated with our pioneering
and fully functioning AD
grit and detritus removal system,
plants, but rely on buying
can pretty much prepare and handle
their feedstock in at future
any organic fermentable material
market prices, BTS Biogas
- slaughterhouse wastes, industrial
pre-treatment will cut
waste foodstuffs and household food
future feedstock purchase
wastes, poultry manure and litter from
requirements drastically for the
layers and broilers, waste straw and
same power output.
dried corn stalks, dried cattle manure
• For those with established
amongst others can all be confidently
and fully functioning AD
pre-treated so as to enable the bacteria
plants with a cost-effective
to access its “fermentable biomass
20-year supply of feedstock,
content”.
BTS Biogas pre-treatment
The technologies, when compared
will effectively reduce the
parasitic electrical loading (i.e.
digestion paddle-stirrers) so as
to push the target CHP MWe
output towards 100%.
• For those with established
and fully functioning AD
plants who grow their own
energy crops, BTS Biogas pretreatment will mean 35% less
crops to grow, meaning 35%
more land available to grow
other crops for other income.
• For those thinking about AD
2014, but were reluctant to
dedicate vast tracts of land to
an envisaged mono-landscape
enterprise, BTS Biogas pretreatment provides a solution
which effectively promotes
farming as a continued varied
and diversified business;
enabling the farmer to chart his
own destiny with the AD Plant
in tow working for him.
BTS Biogas are proud of their
accomplishments over the past 12
years. A CHP audit commissioned
2012 confirmed that all 165 AD
plants built to date were typically
g enerating electrical power at above
95% capacity; with our top ten plants
for 2012 reported as ranging from
98.2-99.5% - this consistency thanks
largely due to the incorporation of
effective pre-treatment technologies;
albeit integrated with a well-designed
and engineered overall holistic AD
product.
It is safe to say that BTS Biogas
is an exclusive developer and
constructor of biogas plants
worldwide; possessing all the skill
sets necessary to deliver AD solutions
that are both environmentally and
commercially successful. Our staff
are knowledgeable on all aspects
of the AD and farming sectors,
being able to correctly assess the
agronomic, biological and technical
specification of an AD solution, and
thereafter balance this against the
customer’s long-term expectations and
aspirations. Every product we design
and build is bespoke to that customer
and guaranteed for 25 years. With the
added advantage of full-automation
and remote 24/7 monitoring from our
central support centre, a customer
needs spend no longer than 30 minutes
a day at the facility so as to fill the
BIOfeeder daily…the rest of the day is
theirs to use and enjoy as they wish!
Agricultural land specialists negotiate UK’s largest Solar Farm
Work has started to build the UK’s largest
Solar Farm, thanks to the collaboration
between two agricultural land specialists,
law firm Thrings and rural and
development land agent WebbPaton.
The 230 acre solar farm, located in
Didcot, will be the largest in the UK and
will provide 41MW of power, which
could supply 10,000 homes. It will be
completed by April 2014.
Acting on behalf of the landowner,
Thrings and WebbPaton negotiated the
lease of the land to developers INRG
Solar.
Leasing land for solar projects has
become a popular investment for
agricultural land owners, because of
the level of return on offer. Thrings and
WebbPaton have worked together on
a number of large solar farm projects
across Wiltshire and Oxfordshire over
their estate.”
It is their joint focus on the benefit
of renewable energy combined with
ensuring that conservation is at the top
of the project agenda that sets the teams
above the rest.
George Paton, partner at WebbPaton,
commented: “Renewables are a
wonderful diversification for landowners
looking to increase the value of their asset
and achieve a higher return per acre.
“The use of agricultural land for solar
“It is a relatively new sector in rural
power is growing as traditionally they
property transactions however we have
are built on brownfield sites. However,
already completed deals covering over
whether the site is brownfield or not,
Thrings’s focus is to ensure landowners 2,000 acres, many of these with Thrings,
and we expect to see interest to continue.
are protected and all the negotiated
details are reflected in the agreed terms. “We feel it is very important to
“The combination of our renewable and consider the long term management and
agricultural expertise gives us unrivalled conservation of any site when negotiating
insight into the priorities of landowners the deals and so we ensure that the site
is designed so it is not prominent on the
during these deals and for the future of
the last three years, including a 130 acre
project in Castle Eaton and a 110 acre site
in Calne.
Catherine Strickland, associate at
Thrings, said: “Wiltshire and Oxfordshire
are prime areas for solar projects due to
sunlight in the south of the country and
access to the National Grid to feed in the
energy produced.
landscape and that bonds are written into
the contracts to ensure the site is returned
to its original use at the end of the lease.”
The Didcot solar farm will continue to be
managed as a natural pasture land grazed
by sheep to encourage diversity of flora
and fauna.
George continued: “We have worked
with a number of solicitors on
renewable projects but we recommend
Thrings due to their sheer knowledge,
conscientiousness, communication and
overall expertise. Thanks to the number
of projects we have worked on together
we have developed a deep understanding
of the things that are likely to happen in
negotiations, things that funders require
and obtaining the best outcome for the
landowner. In our opinion, Catherine
is one of the best solar lawyers in the
country.”