Anaerobic Digestion News
Anaerobic Digestion Can Help Farmers Clean up the Water Environment
Source: DEFRA
Published Friday, 5 September, 2008 - 11:08
Innovative technology which turns organic matter into biogas - a renewable source of energy and a transport fuel - could play an important part in helping farmers meet strict new environmental rules, Environment Minister Phil Woolas said today.
From January 2009 farmers will have to step up action to cut the amount of nitrates from fertiliser that gets into rivers. This will include restricting the times of year that fertiliser can be spread on land and storing excess manure outside these times.
Treating the manure in on-farm anaerobic digestion plants while it is being stored could produce biogas, which farmers could use as a source of energy. The treated manure can be returned to the soil as fertiliser.
Phil Woolas acknowledged that there are still hurdles to be overcome, saying:
"Tackling pollution from agriculture is central to boosting the quality of our water environment. Left unchecked it can have serious effects on local rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters, and the plant life and wildlife that depend on those.”
"Anaerobic digestion is an exciting and innovative technology, and it is clear we are not making full use of its potential. I know from talking to the farming industry that there are barriers to enabling its wider take up by farmers and that's something I have promised to look at."
Defra ministers met around fifty senior industry and non-government organisation executives in July to discuss ways of increasing the use of anaerobic digestion, and delegates agreed to work with government and each other to overcome barriers to increasing its capacity in this country. A follow up meeting later this year will review progress. More ...
Anaerobic Digestion Reduces Waste and Generates Electricity
By Nina Sweet
For those of us who get excited about waste-treatment technology, anaerobic digestion really is the way forward — you put rubbish in one end and get valuable products out of the other.
Quite simply, we are running out of places suitable for burying the rubbish we generate and any initiative — whether it be new technology or changes in behaviour — has to be worth considering if it reduces the quantity of waste we throw away.
Anaerobic digestion is tried and tested on the Continent but we have been slow to take it up in Britain. Now, with local authorities having to meet targets to reduce the biodegradable waste that we send to landfill, and sustainability being such a hot issue, the technology is being given serious consideration.
Surprisingly, until recently little attention has been paid to reducing the vast quantity of food that is thrown away annually. It forms one of the biggest elements of landfill, yet only 3 per cent is sent for composting or to anaerobic digesters. Of the 6.7 million tonnes that is estimated to be binned each year by households, only 2.6 million tonnes could not have been eaten — the potato peelings, the apple cores, the eggshells and so on. More at The Times...
FoE Publishes Residual Waste Research Which Estimates Future Waste Composition
Friends of the Earth have published a report looking at what materials are likely to be left in residual household waste after extensive recycling has taken place. This attempts to predict how waste will change as the UK adopts much improved recycling practices, as required by EU Regulations.
The report identified 14 significant residual wastes/material types from a 'hypothetical' capture rate scenario and 26 from a 'practical' capture rate scenario.
The results will help develop policies to remove the materials from the waste stream.
More...
New Guidance from WRAP Favours AD
WRAP have reissued their guidance on alternate weekly collection schemes.
These schemes have proved to be the most contentious thing for a long while in the UK Waste Management scene. Also, many authorities are now operating very unpopular alternate weekly collection schemes (AWCS), so there has been considerable interest in the new guidance recently issued by WRAP.
Included within the revised guidance is a suggestion that to meet Landfill Directive requirements it will be necessary to deal with food waste.
The best way to do this the guidance suggests is through a weekly collection of food waste and to process it either through composting or preferably through processes like Anaerobic Digestion. Download the .pdf here.
Biogas Production Conference: Biogas from Agricultural Biomass and Organic Residues
(19 July 2007) The International Biogas and Bioenergy Centre of Competence (IBBK) invites you to participate in the international conference "Progress in Biogas - Biogas production from agricultural biomass and organic residues" which takes place from September 19-21, 2007 at University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
During three days the international conference will extensively discuss the topics production technologies and gas utilisation, country related political frameworks, chances and perspectives for rural areas as well as global epicentres of biogas production.
With presentations from well known international scientists and practitioners as well as with penal discussions, poster sessions, an exhibition and technical tours the international conference will show future developments in the field of biogas production and utilisation.
You will find further information regarding the program as well as a registration form attached to this mail. For more detailed information please visit our homepage: http://www.biogas-zentrum.de, or download the comprehensive program brochure from http://www.biogas-zentrum.de/ibbk/downloads/int_IBBK_Biogas_konf_2007.pdf .
Book this month and take advantage of our early bird rates for bookings made before July 31, 2007!
UK Budget Brings Only Marginal Encourgement to Anaerobic Digestion
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(22 March 2007) An initial reading of yesterday’s budget suggests that although in some areas the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Brown has brought forward green taxation and benefits, there is nothing which specifically assists anaerobic digestion, or renewables.
There was news which will bring encouragement to those involved in micro-generation where homeowners can export power to the electricity grid, and measures will ensure they receive a good price reflecting the efficiency savings which exist from generating power so close to the point of use, thus reducing distribution losses.
A further increase in Landfill Tax was nevertheless announced which will assist in making the options of minimising and recycling waste, and also waste processing such as in Anaerobic Digestion, more economically viable.
New Technology Biomass Burner Electricity Generating Plant to be Built in Dorset.
(28 February 20067) Eco Composting has submitted plans for a new breed of energy generation plant that will generate enough 'clean' power for the National Grid to provide electricity for around 5,000 houses. This will be a very clean process and it is stated that the gases given off from the burning wood are burned too and any remaining gasses are fully cleaned.
Trelawney Dampney, Eco's managing director, said: "We already receive waste wood recovered from council tips and we are planning to grow willow on the farm to augment the existing wood fuel source. This form of energy-generating plant reduces the need for huge power stations and increases the efficiency of the National Grid by reducing the distance the power is sent”.
And heat generated by the turbine will be used on site for the firm's other recycling processes - it takes organic green material from gardens, old wood, soil and even food - to produce recycled products such as garden compost, blended soils and wood chip for play areas.
The plant proposed will produce enough heat to power about 5,000 houses, and has been stated to be “carbon neutral” meaning that the plant will not contribute toward global warming.
Comment: Biomass Burning - a competitor for Anaerobic Digestion Feedstocks?
High return for anaerobic digestion, operator claims
(28.09.06)
The operator of one of the first full-scale anaerobic digestion plants to treat household waste in the UK has revealed a "strong economic return" for its initial investment.
Greenfinch Ltd, which opened its plant in South Shropshire earlier this year , said on Tuesday that plants processing 15,000 tonnes a year could cost in the region of £2.2 million to set up.
“There is a general misunderstanding in the waste industry over the cost, size and nature of anaerobic digestion.” - Michael Chesshire
But the company's director, Michael Chesshire, revealed to an audience in London that every year a plant like his can command £300,000 for electricity generated from biogas as well as £675,000 in gate fees for taking in waste.
Mr Chesshire told delegates of the Composting Association seminar in Croydon: "There is a general misunderstanding in the waste industry over the cost, size and nature of anaerobic digestion.
A £2.2 million plant, which takes 15,000 tonnes of waste a year, costs £350,000 a year to operate. It can raise £675,000 a year through its gate fee and generate £300,000 of renewable energy at current electricity prices, which is a strong economic return," he said.
Diversion
Mr Chesshire said anaerobic digestion – in which waste breaks down without oxygen – was capable of a 100% diversion of material from landfill. But, he suggested the process worked best with food waste treated alone, rather than commingled with garden waste. More here...
Irish Farmers have important role in future of
bio-energy - Coughlan
(30 Augst 2006) The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan T.D., has called on more farmers to consider diversifying into energy crops - but acknowledged that the current EU Energy Crop Scheme payment of €45 per hectare is not sufficient.
Minister Coughlan also revealed that, to-date, there had only been 250 applications made to her Department for the energy crop payment in 2006. The Minister said that, to be successful in developing the sector, more encouraging signals must be sent to farmers. In that context, the Government are currently drafting the National Bio-Energy Strategy.
Due for completion by the end of 2006, the main objective is to maximise the contribution of indigenous bio-energy across the agriculture, enterprise, transport and energy sectors. It will establish a firm road map to exploit the potential of bio-energy resources, quantify opportunities and benefits and introduce policy support measures. More ...
The Worcestershire Rural Hub looks at Community Anaerobic Digestion
(12 Augst 2006) The Worcestershire Rural Hub was originally set up by a small number of farmers and other rural businesses in North West Worcestershire. It is funded through Defra.
The Hub is a not-for-profit company consisting of rural businesses and representatives from the public sector who have an interest in securing a viable and sustainable future for Worcestershire's rural economy.
An Engineering consultant involved with the Hub volunteered his services to write a Feasibility Study.
More ... (You may need to register to view this. Registration is free here.)
New Pages Added to this Anaerobic Digestion web site
(27 July 2006) We have added two new pages to the AD intro section to help those planning an AD project. The first lists potential feed materials, and the second lists potential objectives for a plant.
We hope that these lists are helpful, and do let us know if you have additional materials or benefits to add, and we will extend our lists.
Impact of Carbon Agenda on Waste Management Business
Recent research has revealed a fairly obvious but to date neglected result of a lack of any built-in sustainability rules within the EU Landfill Directive. Namely, that no real consideration is being given to carbon dioxide emissions when recycling.
Research carried out by Grant Thornton Project Finance suggests that the Government's policy on tonnage based recycling targets at the lowest cost means that no distinction is being made between recycling processes that reduce CO2 emissions and recycling processes that increase CO2 emissions. The report goes on to state that "as the drive towards increased levels of recycling continues there is a very real danger that hard-won gains in the renewable sector may be eroded unless the relative carbon effect of recycling strategies is properly understood and acted on." For the full report click here:
Austrian EU Presidency to prioritise bioenergy
The recent gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine has prompted the Austrian Presidency of the EU to fast-track discussion of the EU's 'biomass action plan'.
"Following the alarming price hike for crude oil and the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine has made one thing very clear - we must take action in the EU to reduce dependence on fossil energy sources" - said Josef Pröll, Austria's agriculture and environment minister. For the full article at Enviro-Solutions Daily News (www.enviro-solutions.com), click here...
(25 January 2006)
European Biomass Report
The European Environment Agency has produced a briefing outlining the merits of increasing biomass use. Preliminary results indicate that the potential of environmentally compatible primary biomass for producing energy could increase from around 180 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2010 to about 300 Mtoe in 2030. More... (24 January 2006)
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