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The UK's emerging anaerobic digestion (AD) industry was thrust
into the limelight recently after two major new projects that
promise to demonstrate the viability of the waste-to-energy
technology were unveiled.
First up, energy firm Farmgen
broke ground on the first in a series of anaerobic digestion
plants, designed to provide farmers with an additional revenue
stream from 'energy farming'.
The £2.5m project at Carr Farm in Warton, Preston will be
the first AD plant built under Farmgen's proposed £30m UK-wide
investment programme. Local crops will be used to create biogas
that will generate 1MW of electricity, which will then be
exported to the national grid.
Farmgen said that it also plans to build a second £2.5m plant
in Silloth, Cumbria later this year and is preparing planning
applications for sites in Lancashire and Staffordshire.
The coalition government has earmarked the accelerated roll-out
of AD plants as a key part of its renewable energy strategy
and, last month, launched a consultation designed to assess
how new policies could help increase support for the emerging
sector.
Under the existing feed-in tariff scheme, farmers or businesses
installing AD systems generating up to 500 kilowatt hours
(kWh) a year are eligible for payments of 11.5p per kWh, while
those installing larger systems producing 500kWh to 5MW receive
9p per kWh.
Industry insiders have warned that the rates are not currently
high enough to drive the widespread roll out of AD plants
and have been calling on the government to increase in the
incentive.
In related news, airport operator BAA has announced that
it has signed a deal with food management firm Vertal that
will see travellers food and drink waste turned into fertiliser
for use on local farms.
The company said that food waste from Heathrow's daily 180,000
passengers will be collected separately and sent to Vertal’s
recycling facility in South London where it will be composted
within 72 hours. It added that it hoped the initiative would
save carbon emissions equivalent to around half a million
air miles.
Vertal
founder and managing director Leon Mekitarian said he hoped
the deal would encourage other firms with large amounts of
food waste to invest in composting technology to reduce their
carbon footprint.
"Our accelerated composting technology is significantly more
carbon positive than any other process," he said. "And, as
the market matures and new legislation comes onstream, that's
becoming a very important business factor."
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