Farming Express. Page 3
UK farm renewables challenges echoed across Europe
Farmers across Europe are wrestling with the same pluses
and pitfalls of renewable energy, according to researchers.
Speaking at last month's All-Energy exhibition and
conference in Aberdeen, researchers from the city's James
HuttonInstitute compared renewable energy production in
Aberdeenshire, the Wendland-Elbetal region of Germany,
and Vysocina in the Czech Republic.
A common issue in all three countries was opposition from
local communities and pressure groups, said senior social
scientist Lee-Ann Sutherland.
Anti-AD protestors objected to maize monoculture and
potential smell, while in the Czech Republic people got
particularly irate about the effect of renewables subsidies
on overall energy prices, she said.
"Recently we've found that Scottish farmers have
become much more proactive in working with their local
communities, especially talking about their plans ahead of
time and on a one-to-one basis," said Dr Sutherland.
All three countries seemed to face the same perceived
problem of "saturation" before renewables technologies
had been implemented on the majority of farms - owing as
much to public acceptance as to physical limitations.
In addition, technology and installation costs were rising,
subsidies were being squeezed, competition from energy
companies was growing, and profits were by no means
assured, she said.
"It's not like many technologies, where the pioneers
take the risks and the followers reap the rewards. We're
witnessing something of a 'bandwagon effect', but farmers
need to be careful not to jump on without being very sure of
the business case."
Comparing the three countries
In Germany and the Czech Republic anaerobic digestion
predominated, and, in contrast to the UK, biogas
technology there had mostly been developed on farms.
Germany now had more than 7,000 anaerobic digesters and
the Czech Republic 260, of which 95% were farm-based,
said Dr Sutherland.
"Many farmers see biogas production as a way of 'futureproofing' their farms," she said.
Selling electricity into the grid and waste heat to local
homes created a more diversified income, and "free"
fertiliser and heating for
greenhouses reduced
farmers' exposure to
spiralling prices.
However, AD could
fundamentally change the
use of a farm, especially if
maize was grown in quantity
to feed the digester.
Aberdeenshire's farmers
preferred wind technology,
partly because it was simpler
and also because they
couldn't easily grow maize,
she added.
"It's becoming a prestige
thing, too. Having a wind
turbine on your land is seen
as a sign that you're a good
businessperson.
"We've also found that, once
farmers get involved in one
form of renewable energy,
they tend to expand it or go
into something else, such
as solar panels or biomass
heating. It opens your eyes to
what you can achieve."
Even hydrogen was on the
radar. "Several farmers see
a future for hydrogen cars,
vans and tractors, run on
energy produced on-farm,"
added Dr Sutherland.
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