AD&BIORESOURCES News
THE UK ANAEROBIC DIGESTION & BIORESOURCES TRADE ASSOCIATION’S Quarterly MAGAZINE adbioresources.org
Issue 38 winter 2017
What next for on-farm AD?
ADBA National Conference 2017 preview RHI latest
Biomethane for transport ADBA R&I Forum preview www.adbioresources.org
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AD & Bioresources News | winter 2017
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Foreword Why AD is an essential weapon in the war against climate change
Inside this issue > Foreword:
3
View from the Top:
4
ADBA News:
5-6
Best Practice Matters:
7
Devolved Administrations:
8
Operator & Working Groups:
9
Feature: On-farm AD:
10-15
Technology Focus: On-farm AD technology:
16-17
ADBA National Conference 2017 Preview: 20-21 ADBA National Conference 2017 Programme:
22-23
ADBA National Conference 2017 Exhibitor/Sponsor Preview:
24-25
Advice Clinic: On-farm AD:
26
Government & Agency News:
27
Biomethane and Gas Vehicle Conference Review:
28
Biomethane Special:
29
Members’ News and Views:
30-33
Policy:
34-35
R&I Update:
36
R&I Forum Preview:
37
Northern Ireland Conference Review:
38
Upcoming Events:
39
Membership Matters:
40-42
Sponsorship and advertising: T +44 (0)203 176 4414 E sales@adbioresources.org
By The Rt Hon the Lord Deben, Chairman, Committee on Climate Change
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he world has understood that we must fight climate change. That is the message of the agreement in Paris. Never before have so many nations come together to battle against a universal threat. Of course, there’s a huge gap between what we’ve promised and what we need to do, and a great difference between promise and delivery. Nonetheless, there is now no question that the world has signed up to a direction of travel and a determination to succeed. Commercial entities from banks to soft drink manufacturers have recognised that they will have to play their part in combating climate change. JP Morgan – for a hundred years house bank for Standard Oil and Exxon Mobil – was among the first to speak out against President Trump’s threat to leave the Paris Agreement. They could see the way the world was going. So, the aim is clear, the science definite, and the determination palpable but it still isn’t easy. When we’ve done the obvious things – decarbonised our energy generation, swapped our diesels for electric cars, and installed our heat pumps – we still won’t have stopped temperatures rising beyond two degrees. There will be so much more to do and much of it in hard to handle areas. That’s why I am so pleased to recognise that waste management in general and anaerobic digestion in particular have such an important part to play in fighting the biggest material threat to face mankind. We are simply going to have to use our resources more efficiently. We must start by making as little waste as possible. Then we have to collect and reuse as much of the waste we do produce as we can. Only after that may we recycle. But an essential adjunct to our recycling process is anaerobic digestion; an increasingly efficient way of completing the system by taking what cannot be reused or directly recycled and giving it real value. Your industry can do what others cannot, in places which others spurn, and with materials others discard. You are an essential partner in this, the most vital of battles. The Rt Hon the Lord Deben will deliver the keynote speech at the ADBA National Conference 2017. For details see p20 or to register your attendance go to adbioresources.org/events
Make your voice heard
Our 2018 Features List
“It’s been a tough year for the UK AD industry but with the introduction of BEIS, the Industrial Strategy and the Clean Growth Strategy have come renewed optimism that the next 12 months will be less challenging. Whatever happens, as the UK’s only dedicated AD and biogas publication, we will continue to report the news, views and opinions that matter to you. We are always keen to receive your press releases or contributions to our scheduled articles, so please get in touch by the relevant deadlines and make 2018 the year that your voice gets heard.”
Spring (issue 39) Feature: Best practice and operational efficiency Technology Focus: Biogas upgrading and power-to-gas R&I Special: Bioresources Plant Update: Please send in details of all new AD projects ADBA R&I Forum 2018 Preview Copy deadline: 15 December
Autumn (issue 41) Feature: Feeding your plant in line with the regulations Technology Focus: Additives and enzymes Advice Clinic: Grid connection AD & Biogas Industry Awards 2018 Review UK AD & World Biogas 2018 Review Copy deadline: 13 July
Summer (issue 40) Feature: Biomethane for transport Technology Focus: Food waste treatment technology Advice Clinic: On-farm AD ADBA R&I Forum 2018 Review AD & Biogas Industry Awards 2018 Preview UK AD & World Biogas 2018 Preview Copy deadline: 6 April
Winter (issue 42) Feature: Digestate – latest innovations and creating a market Technology Focus: Pumps and mixers Finance special: Buying and selling an AD plant ADBA National Conference 2019 Preview Copy deadline: 7 September
Kate O’Reilly, Editor T +44 (0)7894 039609 E kate.oreilly@adbioresources.org
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View from the Top Light at the end of the tunnel
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By Charlotte Morton, ADBA’s Chief Executive
t’s been a really tough couple of years for the AD industry, with the carpet of financial support having been pulled out from underneath us and an overall lack of long term policy direction from Whitehall. But without wishing to count any chickens, I’ve seen signs over the past few months that make me think we might be turning a corner in government recognising AD as crucial to meeting its Carbon Budgets and other policy goals, such as supporting farmers, restoring soils, reducing food waste, and improving air quality. One step in the right direction has been the publication of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS’s) Clean Growth Strategy, which gives some high level indication of how the government intends to meet its challenging Fourth and Fifth Carbon Budgets up to 2032. AD can play an underpinning role in many of the sectors mentioned by the strategy (heat, power, transport, waste, and farming), and the strategy’s aim to divert all food waste from landfill by 2030 is particularly welcome. This, alongside encouraging noises that we’ve been hearing from Defra, makes mandatory separate food waste collections in England an ever greater prospect, even if a lot of work still needs to be done for this to become a reality. While the continued delays to the tabling of legislation for the Renewable Heat Incentive are a source of real frustration for the AD industry, the reset tariffs and tariff guarantees should help to stimulate uptake of biomethane for grid injection in the medium term if and when they are finally put in place. In the meantime, we’re working with other trade bodies to put together sector deals for bioeconomy, agritech and decentralised energy as part of BEIS’s Industrial Strategy.
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Biomethane for transport has been given a vital boost by the Department for Transport’s reforms to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, which will now require 12.4 per cent of all fuels to be derived from renewable sources by 2032. This provides a great opportunity for the AD industry, with biomethane a low-cost and technology-ready option that can help meet this increased target. While we’re still missing a minimum price for Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates, I’m hopeful the low carbon fuels industry will come together to find a solution to this. There are also encouraging noises coming from Europe on the possibility of a higher and more effective carbon price, which would help to price in AD’s positive externalities and price out dirty fossil fuels and unsustainable practices. Our Head of Policy, Ollie More, will be talking about this at the World Biogas Association’s conference on carbon pricing and the circular economy on 11 December in Brussels (see p19). But irrespective of whether government policy towards biogas does shift significantly in the right direction, it’s critical that we as an industry work hard to be the best that we can be. This is why the launch of ADBA’s pioneering Best Practice Scheme at the ADBA National Conference in December is so important in supporting AD operators to improve performance to meet the highest environmental, health and safety, and operational standards. There’s also money to be saved in being the best – through our partnership with insurance brokers Jelf, operators certifying under the scheme can benefit from a 10 per cent discount on their insurance premiums. AD reaching its full potential will require commitment and best practice by operators from the bottom up and by policymakers from the top down. There’s still a long way to go, but I’m quietly confident that biogas is slowly but surely getting back on track.
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ADBA News ADBA joins the PARTIES Since our last issue, we have been busy promoting AD at the conferences of the two main political parties. Our Chief Executive, Charlotte Morton, attended the Labour Conference in Brighton, where we co-sponsored an evening reception in partnership with SERA (the Labour Environment Campaign) and Sustainability Hub that was attended by Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey. Meanwhile, our External Affairs Manager, Jon Harrison, represented ADBA at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, attending a breakfast meeting at which Environment Secretary Michael Gove spoke about the importance of soil productivity and conservation as the government looks to help farmers improve their output post-Brexit. With the vital role that digestate can play in soil health, this is an angle that we will be following up with the Secretary of State in the weeks to come. Jon also joined Sustainability Hub for an evening reception at the Conservative Conference at which BEIS Secretary Greg Clark outlined the government’s plans for reducing emissions through its Clean Growth Strategy, Industrial Strategy, and 25-Year Plan for Nature (due out by Christmas – watch this space). See Waste in Westminster on p27 for the full report, or for more information on our parliamentary engagement contact jon.harrison@adbioresources.org
Supporting the Welsh AD industry to raise standards In late September our Market Analyst, Emiliano Lewis, attended a meeting with key industry stakeholders on how to combat the bad PR experienced by the AD industry in Wales following a few significant pollution incidents, and how to prevent these incidents reoccurring. Entitled ‘AD Intervention Strategy’ and run by Severn Wye Energy Agency, the meeting was attended by representatives from Natural Resources Wales, the Welsh Government, and the AD industry. The group discussed the importance of helping farmers to better understand whether an installer is operating to required standards, whether it is suitably qualified, and whether it can deliver a good plant. It was agreed that more could be done to share lessons learnt when things do go wrong to allow others to prevent the same issues from happening at their plants.
Keeping biomethane on the government’s agenda In October we attended a meeting of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (CVP) Fuels Working Group, which includes representation from the Department for Transport (DfT) and many others working in the low carbon fuels sector (including a number of ADBA members). One particular positive from the meeting for biomethane was recognition from DfT that gas is currently the only option for decarbonising heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in the short to medium term, particularly whilst the prospects for electrification of HGVs remain so distant. Another key takeaway point was that government has still not decided whether it wants to use biomethane for heat or transport. The Committee on Climate Change has previously suggested that biomethane should be used in the gas grid, but what’s needed from government is a whole systems, cross-sector analysis of the energy system (including energy required for transport) and meaningful collaboration between BEIS and DfT to establish where biomethane can best be used in the energy system. This would then give the AD industry clearer direction on where to prioritise its efforts. In the meantime, we will continue to promote the benefits of biomethane for both heat and transport pending firmer strategic direction from government. For more information on our transport work contact emiliano.lewis@adbioresources.org ADBA’s Best Practice Scheme (BPS) and related guidance will provide an effective support mechanism and additional motivation for operators in Wales to ensure they minimise the risks arising from their activities, and we are pleased to have received input from Natural Resources Wales in delivering the scheme. All BPS documents and guidance are available free of charge from our website (http://bit.ly/2fpwOE5), and you can find out more about the scheme on p7.
Get involved It’s excellent to see the key organisations in Wales working together to tackle the difficulties faced by AD operators. We will keep ADBA members updated with any opportunities to be involved in this work and would be particularly interested to engage with any on-farm AD operators in Wales. To get in touch or find out more contact jessica.allan@adbioresources.org
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ADBA News Second edition of Practical Guide to AD released At the beginning of October we released the second edition of the Practical Guide to AD, a key guidance document for developing and operating AD facilities in the UK. The guide covers specific topics of relevance to AD operators, including: feedstocks; producing and using biogas and biomethane; digestate; planning; regulation; funding and insurance; training; and health and safety. Over 50 contributors, a team of reviewers, and external stakeholders fed in their expertise and knowledge to update the guide with the latest regulatory, policy and technological developments in the AD sector. The guide will be a living document, updated periodically online in conjunction with developments in the AD industry. ADBA members can download the guide for free at http://bit.ly/2yOgQM4 To find out more about the guide contact jessica.allan@adbioresources.org
ADBA attends Defra Biowaste Regulatory Forum
The benefits of combining AD and algae Our PR & Parliamentary Affairs Executive, Chris Noyce, attended a workshop run by a consortium of Welsh universities on developing circular economy solutions to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution and develop feed products. The workshop focused on how combining AD-derived digestate with algal technologies has the potential to reduce nutrient pollution (which primarily derives from agriculture) while producing high-value products such as proteins for animal feed. Attendees at the workshop included a range of academic experts in AD and algal technologies, AD operators, and representatives from Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government. Some discussion at the workshop was focused on the importance of high health and safety and environmental standards at on-farm AD plants to avoid pollution incidents that can cause nitrate pollution. Chris highlighted ADBA’s Best Practice Scheme (see p7), which is designed to support AD operators to meet the highest standards.
Our Environment and Regulation Manager, Jess Allan, recently attended Defra’s Biowaste Regulatory Forum, which brings together trade bodies, professional organisations, Defra, and regulators. The Forum is an opportunity for the industry to share updates with regulators and vice versa, and also enables the identification of actions that can support the biowaste industry. At the Forum, Kathy Nicholls, the Environment Agency’s (EA’s) biowaste treatment lead, highlighted that there has been a fall in the number of ‘poor performers’ in the biowaste treatment sector (which includes AD, composting and mechanical biological treatment) and a slight drop in the number of incidents associated with biowaste plants. The EA still has concerns, however, as some of the incidents that do occur have a significant environmental impact. It is continuing to look closely at primary and secondary containment, odour, and noise around biowaste plants. In happier news, the EA has seen some progress in de-gritting becoming more routine and general improvements to site operations, following the implementation of its audit programme.
Combining AD with algal technologies may be able to offer AD operators an additional revenue stream through the production of high-value products such as proteins, fats, oils, and chemicals on top of the renewable heat and power and biofertiliser produced by AD. There are, however, also challenges associated with AD-algal technologies, including the need for large surface areas to allow light-hungry algae to grow. These technologies and any associated markets are still at a very early stage of development but we will be monitoring developments in this area to assess the potential for algal technologies to complement AD systems. We would welcome any views you may have on the benefits and challenges of this. You can read Chris’s full blog from the workshop at http://bit.ly/2i1hyLe For more information contact ollie.more@adbioresources.org
We are keen for the EA to provide greater levels of detail and data on the AD sector’s performance so we can track this more effectively and pinpoint areas for focus. For more information contact jessica.allan@adbioresources.org
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Best Practice Matters BPS pilot takes us closer to scheme launch
For information and advice on any areas relating to AD best practice, contact our Environment and Regulation Manager, Jess Allan T +44 (0)203 735 8380 E jessica.allan@adbioresources.org @JessicaAllan2 adbioresources.org/our-work/best-practice-scheme
Early September saw the conclusion of the pilot phase of the Best Practice Scheme for AD, a fantastic milestone for the project and a really useful learning experience for all involved. We selected three AD operators to take part in the pilot, covering agricultural, food waste, and food manufacturing feedstocks. Our appointed certification body, Aardvark Certification Ltd, worked through the audit process with them all. By testing the scheme rules and criteria in a real-life setting, we now have a much improved understanding of how they will work when the scheme officially opens, which will be very soon. Look out for announcements via our website, on social media and at a launch session at the ADBA National Conference in December (see p20 for details) – I hope to see you there! I recently caught up with Nick Johnn, Director of Aardvark Certification Ltd, to get his take on how the pilot went and to share any key findings: JA: What are the key lessons learnt from the pilot from your perspective? NJ: The audit process covers design/build, operation and documentation. Within each of these three categories, all of the plants visited demonstrated a real commitment to high operating standards and were visibly proud to discuss the procedures in place to ensure their plant is being operated well. Obviously, there are significant differences depending on which area of the market the plant is operating within, how old the plant is, which technology is being used, etc. These differences highlight the need for a standardised set of criteria against which
different aspects of a plant can be assessed to identify areas where improvements can be made, or to reward operators whose plants already achieve the Best Practice standard. JA: At this stage, do you have any advice for AD operators on how best to prepare for the audit process? NJ: The scheme criteria have been available on the ADBA website for a number of months now. Within this document the types of evidence an auditor will be requesting are clearly listed. I would recommend that any operators considering applying for Best Practice Certification use this document as a guide to collate the necessary documentation required to demonstrate compliance with each of the criteria. Having this information in electronic form is also beneficial, as it enables operators to share information with the auditor ahead of the site visit which will reduce the length of the site audit. Hear more from Jess, Nick and others at the ADBA National Conference 2017, 7 December, London. See p20 for details or go to adbioresources.org
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Devolved Administrations Plans to halve Wales’ food waste announced The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths has announced ambitious plans to halve food waste in Wales by 2025. Wales has already made significant progress in this area, reducing household food waste in Wales by 12 per cent between 2009 and 2015. Wales’ household waste levels are now lower than the rest of the UK by around nine per cent. The Cabinet Secretary confirmed that in order to build on this progress, she intends to launch a consultation on a non-statutory target for Wales to halve food waste by 2025, against a 2006-07 baseline. “We are well on our way to achieving our ambitious target to become a zero waste nation by 2050,” said Lesley Griffiths. “Recycling is at an all-time high and our 60 per cent recycling rate is bettered by just two other countries in the world. We are keen to build on this success and one area where we believe improvements can be made is food waste.”
Innovative water treatment technology for whisky distillery The whisky industry’s first ever anaerobic membrane bioreactor system to treat wastewater has been installed at the Glenmorangie distillery in Scotland’s Northern Highlands. The AD plant not only produces biogas but reduces output in distillery wastewater by up to 95 per cent and increases the quality of the wastewater. An average of ten to twelve litres of water are needed to produce one litre of
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whisky, with the distillery producing 4-5 million litres of whisky each year. Steve Goodwin, Managing Director of Aquabio, who designed and built the system, explains: “The low energy Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Plant is designed to improve the quality of the effluent being discharged into the Dornoch Firth, which is now reused as fuel within the site boiler system.”
Funding for NI industry/ academia partnership A Northern Irish AD technology firm, in partnership with South West College, has secured substantial funding through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) towards a novel biomethane production system. The funding from Innovate UK and L-R Aaron Black, SWC; Adam Moore, Invest NI will enable Greenville Energy, KTP Associate; Denis Clodic, Cryo based in Ardstraw, County Tyrone, to Pur; William Moore, Greenville appoint a graduate to undertake the two Energy; Ken Frame, KTP Adviser and a half year project which aims to design, build and test a biogas upgrading system for small scale AD operators. The graduate will work closely with South West College to transfer skills and knowledge into the business throughout the duration of the project. The KTP will allow Greenville to develop new markets for the biogas produced from its AD plant, enabling expansion of its current plant as well as development of new equipment for supply to AD plants of similar size. To find out more about the KTP programme or advancing your innovative ideas, contact julie.anderson@swc.ac.uk T +44 (0)28 8225 5223.
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Operator & Working Groups Training, Safety and Environment Group tackles odour The Training, Safety and Environment Working Group is one of our most active, leading the way on helping the industry operate well. Earlier this year, the group identified odour as a focus and set up a sub-group to consider the best approach to take. Odour is often cited as a common cause of complaint about AD plants and feedback indicated that there is a lack of industry-specific guidance available to operators and those who regulate them. The sub-group is tasked with kick-starting the production of an informative guide for operators on the sources of odour and the techniques they can use to manage and monitor it. It is hoped that this will also help to ensure planning authorities and regulators are fully informed when making decisions. The group is currently pulling together relevant information and structuring this into a useful guide which will contain practical tips, as well as providing a technical background in odour control. Group members also recently lent their expertise to produce an expanded section on odour management in the new edition of the Practical Guide to AD, published in September. The odour sub-group is led by Dr Stephen Wise from Amec Foster Wheeler and consists of some familiar faces with a great deal of industry experience: Dr Les Gornall from Capita PROjEN; Mandy Stoker from E4 Environment; David Woolgar from David Woolgar Consulting (formerly of Biogen and the current chair of our Training, Safety and Environment Working Group); Thom Gornall from CSO Technik; and Robert Sneath from Silsoe Odours Ltd. The group offers a variety of perspectives, encompassing technical and operational issues, planning, regulation and community engagement.
Get involved The odour sub-group will be reporting back to the wider Training, Safety and Environment Working Group when they meet in November. If you would like to be involved in either the Training, Safety and Environment Working Group or the odour sub-group, please contact jessica.allan@adbioresources.org
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On-farm AD
What does the future hold for on-farm AD?
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he agricultural anaerobic digestion (AD) sector has been a vital part of biogas growth in the UK over the last ten years. Farmers have many different reasons for adopting AD: business diversification; generation of low-cost heat and power; diversification of cropping and rotation extension; waste and manure or slurry management; and biofertiliser production, to name a few. Today, there are 273 dedicated agricultural AD plants in the UK (ie those which use only agricultural feedstocks), together with a further 30 which use a mix of agricultural and municipal or industrial waste feedstocks. The dedicated plants alone have a total electrical equivalent capacity of 277 MWe-e, generating 1.77 TWh of electricity each year, enough to power more than 422,000 homes. ADBA believes that agricultural AD could account for 37 TWh of the 78 TWh of energy which the AD industry as a whole has the potential to produce by 2032. On average, ADBA estimates that the UK’s agricultural biogas plants use 10
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around 45 per cent farm waste feedstocks (such as manures, slurries and crop residues), with the remaining 55 per cent coming from dedicated energy crops. In fact, one of the driving forces for the adoption of AD on farms has been the treatment of agricultural waste. Defra’s Farm Practices Survey 2017, which covers England, focused on the methods adopted by farmers to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, including biogas production. It reveals that the proportion of farmers in England using AD has risen from 1.3 per cent in 2013 to 5.5 per cent today. Although 3.9 per cent feed their digesters with energy crops, 2.9 per cent use slurries, demonstrating the growing importance of AD as a waste treatment option for farmers. And it’s a similar situation elsewhere in the UK. In Scotland, the number of on-farm AD plants has risen from five in 2013 to 29 today, with manures and slurries accounting for 46 per cent of the feedstock used. In Wales, the number of farm-based biogas plants has risen from four to ten, while Northern Ireland saw growth from eight on-farm plants to 35 over the same period.
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On-farm AD On average, farm-based plants use around 45 per cent waste feedstocks, such as manures and slurries
farmers to 2022, it is important that any successor to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) works to support farmers, decarbonise the sector, and recognise AD as capable of making half of the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction that is targeted by the industry by 2020 and for subsequent Carbon Budgets out to 2050.”
Benefitting farmers
However, without direct subsidies, the costs involved in developing and running an on-farm AD plant will need to reduce to make it a viable option for most UK farmers. One way to achieve this is through scalable, off-the-shelf plant designs, rather than the bespoke installation that is normally used. Smaller farms may also find it easier to gain planning permission for such small, agri-AD schemes, enabling more farmers to enjoy the benefits that AD can bring, as ADBA’s Chief Executive Charlotte Morton recognises: “The AD industry can boost the rural economy, create 35,000 rural jobs, and ensure security of energy supply at a time when a third of the UK’s natural gas imports come from troubled Qatar.”
Decreasing support
However, deployment in the sector has slowed considerably. On-farm AD development peaked in 2014, with 84 plants being commissioned that year, but has dropped since 2016 following the withdrawal of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) and uncertainty over support levels and qualifying heat use under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). “The main problem has been the uncertainty created by the lack of policy clarity,” explains Stefan Jimenez Wisler, Policy Advisor for the CLA. “It can take considerable time to plan, design and construct an AD plant and there is little confidence that the support and regulatory regime will remain unchanged during a project’s lifespan.” “Despite the many energy and non-energy benefits that AD delivers for farmers and the UK more widely, we are seeing fewer and fewer agricultural projects come forward,” acknowledges ADBA’s Policy Manager Thom Koller. “The slight increase to the FIT following the government’s response to last year’s FIT consultation has led to a few more projects joining the scheme over the last couple of months, but we understand that the FIT is now too low for most smaller-scale projects to be viable. Agricultural AD projects are also eagerly awaiting news on the RHI reforms, the government response to which was published back in December 2016. While the industry waits for the RHI tariff to be reset, the current biogas heat tariff (combined with the FIT) does not provide sufficient support for most on-farm projects.”
Future policy context
With direct support having been so instrumental in driving the recent growth of AD in the agricultural industry, how can it survive in the current climate? Moving forward, most observers believe that the environmental benefits provided by AD, such as emissions reduction and waste management, will help the technology benefit from a shift from production-based agricultural subsidies to ones which reward good environmental practices. In fact, there are strong signs that support for farmers will increasingly focus on environmental goods and services as the UK makes its way in a post-Brexit world. Environment Secretary Michael Gove has even spoken of his plans for a ‘green Brexit’ which would stop payments to the richest landowners and support ‘good environmental practice’.
In fact, at the same time as helping to deliver wider policy ambitions, AD can provide multiple benefits to farm businesses: • Increasing the profitability of break crops; • Reducing agricultural waste management costs; • Helping to increase diversity in agricultural rotations and combating issues such as blackgrass and nematodes; • Providing on-site low carbon energy for farms and businesses in rural areas; • Reducing agricultural methane and other GHG emissions, worth up to £1bn a year; • Restoring soils and improving food security; • Providing rural jobs and investment; • Reducing gas and fertiliser imports worth up to £2bn a year; • Reducing direct agricultural support payments (up to £1.5bn a year) and providing alternative income streams.
More than just energy generation
The fact that AD offers so much more than simply energy generation is particularly important for the agricultural sector. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has recognised that agriculture is a ‘hard to reduce sector’ in terms of meeting the UK’s overall Carbon Budget and AD is one of the few technologies available to deliver GHG savings beyond the figures in the CCC’s Fifth Carbon Budget. The CCC has also recommended the replacement of the Continued>> Energy crops such as maize make up around 55 per cent of the feedstock for on-farm plants
“With declining support from the FIT and RHI, plus Brexit meaning a change to farming support is just years away, there is a huge opportunity for AD to be recognised for its role in supporting farmers and the wider rural sector, as well as for the public benefits it delivers in terms of reducing emissions, improving organic matter and increasing food security through the recycling of essential crop requirements (by spreading digestate back to farmland),” adds Thom. “Although the government has committed to the current level of funding for www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
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On-farm AD biogas plant in Malawi in 1977, when the time came for Stephen to change his farm’s slurry handling system in order to comply with Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs), he spotted the potential of AD. The fact that he had an on-site requirement for heat for cheese making, providing hot water for the dairy, grain drying and heating buildings, plus an easy grid connection, helped underpin his decision.
For farmers, AD offers opportunities to reduce GHG emissions through the use of digestate as a biofertiliser
CAP from 2020 with a policy which links support more closely to the reduction and removal of emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land use – something which could benefit AD technology that can of course deliver GHG reduction through several mechanisms. “For farmers, AD offers opportunities to reduce direct and indirect GHG emissions through improved waste management, the use of digestate as a biofertiliser, the displacement of carbon intensive energy sources and potentially even soil carbon sequestration,” says Stefan. “Aside from this, there are potential benefits for long term soil health from digestate use, encouraging better crop rotation, reducing income volatility for farm businesses and creating new income streams. It also increases resource efficiency and diverts waste streams back into productive use.” And in terms of the economic arguments, AD may actually look more attractive to farmers in a post-Brexit world. “Cash flow pressure in today’s uncertain market, particularly in light of Brexit, plus volatile commodity prices mean that for many farmers, a second income is required in order to support younger generations as they work alongside their parents,” says Phil Gerrard, Chief Executive of Privilege Finance. “AD is a viable means to diversify farm incomes, but it does require careful operation compared to other ‘plug and play’ renewable options such as wind. On the other hand, a well-run AD plant can potentially offer a significantly better return on investment than other technologies.”
First-hand experience
One early adopter of on-farm AD was Dr Stephen Temple of Copys Green Farm in Norfolk and Director of JF Temple & Son Ltd. Having helped to build a
The digester was installed in 2009 and has been running successfully ever since, although Stephen stresses that if he repeated the experience today the decision to develop his own plant would be more marginal given current levels of support: “We feed the digester with silage which we would previously have dumped, so it would also depend on how this waste silage is defined.” However, Stephen also points out that, “With the experience of modifying our current digester we could do the project at a lower cost second time around.” Stephen’s AD plant has delivered low-cost electricity and free heat, and has improved the value and consistency of the farm’s slurry, making it much easier to use as a fertiliser. “As it contains the nutrients the crops have removed from the field, it is well balanced to replace these nutrients,” he adds. Stephen has the following words of advice for any would-be on-farm AD operators: “Be wary of changes in government policy and Environment Agency rules which might affect viability after the plant has been built.” He also advises visiting as many current operators as possible to fully understand how long the development process takes.
Dealing with digestate
As Stephen has found, digestate produced from the AD process makes an excellent natural biofertiliser that can be applied to land, replacing expensive and carbon-intensive artificial fertilisers and also restoring vital organic matter. As well as benefitting farmers directly, digestate is now being commercialised for wider consumer use, creating an additional revenue stream. In July this year, PlantGrow, a range of natural fertiliser products derived from AD digestate, was launched. Available as a solid soil conditioner and a liquid biofertiliser, the products have been stocked in Homebase and Blue Diamond garden centres, as well as local retailers and online. “The sale of products such as PlantGrow in large wholesalers nationwide is a game-changing moment in the restoration of the UK’s soils,” says Charlotte Morton. “We hope it can increase demand for biofertiliser across the country, allowing AD operators to find a market for what is such an important and valuable product.”
Farmer Stephen Temple installed an AD plant at his Norfolk farm in 2009
Continued>>
PlantGrow, a biofertiliser produced from AD, is now on sale on Britain’s high streets 12
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www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
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On-farm AD A collaborative approach
In the meantime, the main use of digestate is likely to be on farmland. “I strongly believe that AD could be one of a number of measures which farmers implement to improve soil conditions, reduce GHG emissions and manage waste resources,” says the CLA’s Stefan Jimenez Wisler. However, Stefan believes that the costs and red tape involved may prompt groups of farmers to work together to develop a plant from which they can all benefit: “I think farmers will need to collaborate more closely in order to develop AD Farmers may need to work together to reap all the benefits that AD can offer
plants,” he says. “It seems unlikely that planning, environmental permitting, grid availability and financial considerations will be suitable and cost effective enough to enable AD on all farms where it is possible. Collaboration can allow for much greater benefits and lower costs for those involved, while also establishing working relationships which can have positive business impacts.” Jonathan Scurlock is Chief Advisor on Renewable Energy and Climate Change at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU). He believes that while growth in on-farm AD to date has been driven by mid-size plants, there is scope for larger developments in the future. He agrees with Stefan that such plants will probably need more collaboration between farmers: “This needs to be recognised at a strategic level – clusters of farmers could work together to build, operate and feed joint-venture AD plants of all sizes. For example, if in the future 1,000 large biomethane plants could be established, this would make a real contribution to decarbonising heat supply. And while UK feedstocks are not in short supply, government restrictions on their availability could mean that in the long term we may even need to consider the possibility of importing some AD feedstock, much like large scale biomass power does now.”
Engaging with Parliament
While importing feedstock may be harder to swallow politically, Jonathan echoes others in the sector when he says that policymakers need to start focusing on the non-energy benefits of AD: “It’s important not to ignore the multiple environmental benefits of AD. The CCC has recognised that on-farm AD can cut methane emissions from agriculture, but Defra needs to look
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www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
On-farm AD at the other non-energy benefits, such as making it easier to recycle nutrients and acting as a buffer during closed application seasons. We would like to see more explicit support from Defra,” he adds. “We need to find creative ways to re-engage with ministers and get a roundtable with both BEIS and Defra. The NFU believes there is a great future for AD technology, but at small, on-farm scale it will need government intervention to succeed. At large scale, with carbon pricing and sufficient deregulation of gas standards to free up access to the gas grid, it should be possible eventually to make AD viable without subsidy.” “The key thing is to have a policy approach which recognises and accounts for more of the positive attributes of AD and how this can benefit a wide range of government policy areas,” agrees the CLA’s Stefan Jimenez Wisler. “AD can deliver on many different policy fronts: from energy and climate change to soil health, transport and waste reduction. However, to date, government policy has focused almost exclusively on its potential to produce energy, to the detriment of the technology and also the cohesion and success of wider government policy. I am hopeful that the establishment of BEIS can help with this and establish a policy in which AD contributes to multiple policy areas. There are signs that BEIS will be more effective at working cross-departmentally.”
will be newly established businesses and the current capital allowance system means they won’t pay tax in the foreseeable future. The immediacy of the FIT and the RHI in increasing revenue is critical and tax incentives can’t achieve this. Contracts for Difference should be considered but this will require the government to find a way to administrate the programme for small plants.” While Bruce is convinced of the arguments in favour of on-farm AD, he is clear that the sector will need long term certainty from government if it is to reach its potential: “A strong energy policy is vital to this country’s energy security. We need a vision for the next ten years; unfortunately, politics is far more short term.” www.privilegeprojectfinance.co.uk www.cla.org.uk www.plantgrow.co.uk www.nfuonline.com www.compassbusinessfinance.co.uk
Wanted: Long-term certainty What is in no doubt is that one of the key requirements of any future policy is certainty. This applies whether indirect or direct support is employed to drive investment. “Recent delays in the confirmation of, and lack of clarity over, policy changes have resulted in a lot of uncertainty. The market has noticeably slowed and some projects have been put on hold as farmers are not clear on future viability,” says Privilege Finance’s Phil Gerrard. “AD is still viable on-farm but it needs to be considered on a case by case basis, to ensure that a suitable feedstock supply is available. This is particularly important for smaller plants where the viability hinges on keeping the cost of feedstock low.”
“The removal of Renewable Obligation Certificates, FIT degression and the continued delays to confirming the RHI mean Bruce Nelson that investor uncertainty of Compass prevails and growth Renewables has been seriously constrained,” agrees Bruce Nelson, Director of Compass Renewables. “Unlike solar and to a certain degree wind, the capital cost of current AD technology isn’t easy to reduce as plants have to be robust due to the fairly harsh environment in which they operate. Generally, tax incentives have a delayed benefit: many AD plants www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
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Technology Focus: On-farm AD technology
Getting on-farm AD right Dr Stephen Temple, Director at JF Temple & Son Ltd farm in Norfolk and operator of a 170 kWe AD plant, looks at how sourcing the right equipment can impact the longevity and running costs of an on-farm digester. “Normally, the equipment installed at an on-farm digester will be specified by the plant designer. However, the costs and maintenance required to keep a plant running can often be underestimated. The key to AD plant profitability, therefore, is to minimise downtime and running costs.
Stephen Temple’s on-farm AD plant in Norfolk
Calculate how much downtime will cost you: having to buy in electricity and heat, as well as the loss of income from generation; the cost of any repairs; and the cost of fetching critical spares. It may actually prove beneficial to have spares of key machines on-site to keep the plant running if something fails, even if these are old and not capable of full output. For example, a second gas booster to supply the CHP can be plumbed in, parallel to the main booster, to avoid flaring gas while the main booster is being serviced. A biogas boiler can provide heat while the CHP is being serviced. If the feeder is out of action, is there another way of getting feedstock into the digester? It may involve some manual shovelling, but it could keep the plant from starving to death. Some other tips when looking at individual items for your on-farm plant include: • Speak to other users of the equipment and find out how well it is working for them, what the running costs are, and whether they have experienced any maintenance issues; • Speak to the people who will actually carry out the work for you, not just the equipment sales force or senior management, who may never have used the equipment in a real-life setting; • When selecting equipment, big and slow will normally last far longer than small and fast (which will be cheaper to buy); • Consider lifetime costs, not just initial purchase price – be aware that digesters, unlike most farm machinery, operate for many hours a day and for 365 days per year. Another thing to consider is that different feedstocks can bring unexpected problems. Cattle slurry can hide hoof blocks, kick bars and other stray items, as well as small stones; beet can contain mud and stones; chopped straw can contain chopper knives. It’s not uncommon for odd-shaped pieces of steel with no obvious origin to appear at regular intervals. Some stone (such 16
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as soft sandstone) can be relatively benign, but broken flint, on the other hand, is extremely hard and sharp. It’s imperative that the machinery you choose can cope with this – for example, if round bale unchopped grass silage gets into slurry or farmyard manure, which is normally handled without issues, it can totally bung up a macerator which has slightly worn cutters. And finally, never forget that reliability is the key to profitability.”
On-farm AD innovations and advice from ADBA members
QUBE Renewables provides localised energy solutions via robust and efficient micro and small scale AD systems, operating from three to 30 kW. www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
Alice Bayfield is the Project Coordinator for QUBE and believes that diminishing government support means that small scale on-farm AD technology must stand up on its own terms: “Existing AD tariffs for power and heat generation are not sufficient to support the installation of most commercial on-farm AD plants within the 300-500 kW range. The economy of scale of the development (planning, grid, funding) and cost of constructing an AD plant of this size is often prohibitive. Below this scale there are few technology providers, so traditional on-farm AD projects are mostly uneconomic, as evidenced by the Ofgem pre-accreditation tables.” So how can the industry square this problem to provide more home-grown energy in the face of
Technology Focus: On-farm AD technology and the digester. Before the feedstock is loaded into the digester, the fibrous material is shredded and mixed with pig slurry. Michael Ronson, Sales Manager for Weltec, explains how the system works: “Using grass silage, whole plant silage and manure for biogas production can cause problems at the front end of the plant. MULTIMix removes any foreign materials prior to the feedstock being conveyed to the pump and shreds the substrates to a suitable size for digestion. This ensures the technical and economic stability of the plant by preventing equipment failure, ensuring uninterrupted digestion of the feedstock used.”
The lagoonQUBE is a removable cover that floats on top of a lagoon or tank to collect biogas and rainwater
lacklustre capital support, mitigate GHG emissions from a high GHG emitting agricultural sector and provide a return on investment for farmers? “Some may argue that farmers get enough support in the form of Single Farm Payment and other grants,” says Alice. “But on the other hand, other commercial sectors are not asked to provide a range of unpaid natural capital services such as flood management, habitat support and GHG emission reductions.” To enable more farmers to reap the many benefits of anaerobic digestion, QUBE has developed the lagoonQUBE: a flexible, removable cover that operates as a digester, floating on a lagoon or open-top tank to collect biogas and, importantly, rainwater. It is designed to float on top to allow operating levels to vary; so as stores are filled and emptied during the year the system will also rise and fall. “The government missed a trick with its recent poorly-subscribed lagoon cover grant as the criteria and timeframe were nonsensical,” says Alice. “It could have provided an opportunity for thousands of farmers to cover their slurry stores and lagoons with floating covers to capture biogas and rainfall. Even with technical challenges to ensure filling, emptying and stirring continue as before, the benefits are huge.”
Weltec Biopower has been building its business in the UK for over 10 years and has now established almost 20 biogas plants in the country. Eight of these are in Northern Ireland, where Weltec is currently building two new facilities. In Newtonabbey, near Belfast, a 500 kW plant is being built for a pig fattening farm. Up to 70 per cent of the feedstock is pig slurry, with the remainder consisting of half grass silage and half maize silage. To make efficient use of the high energy potential of grass silage, the operator has opted for Weltec’s MULTIMix system. This input system is positioned between the dosing feeder
The second 500 kW biogas plant under construction by Weltec in Northern Ireland is located on an old industrial site in Benburb, near Armagh. The feedstock mix mainly consists of cattle manure and grass silage, plus some maize silage and chicken manure. As well as a digester, pre-storage tank, digestate storage tank and dosing feeder, the plant will also make use of the MULTIMix system. www.quberenewables.co.uk www.weltec-biopower.com See feature, On-farm AD, p10
Weltec Biopower has developed 20 AD plants in the UK and is currently building two on-farm facilities in Northern Ireland
In recent deployments, QUBE has seen gas capture from whole slurry lagoons reach 24m3 per 94m2 of surface area. A typical 30x40x3m lagoon could be generating 300m3 of reasonable quality biogas daily (methane 49-52 per cent) – equivalent to 50 kW of heat, or 17 kW of power and 17 kW of heat. “To ensure large scale deployment, on-farm AD needs to be simple, cost-effective, robust and installed within a farm’s existing assets – not as a result of government support,” adds Alice. www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
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Advertorial Organics separation technology captures >95% from variable feed sources Unavoidable food waste is increasingly becoming a resource instead of a waste stream. Organic material contained within leftover food waste collected from homes, food manufacturing and retail represents a significant sustainable energy source. When treated by anaerobic digestion, it produces a methane-rich biogas. Rather than disposing of organic food waste to landfill with the resultant greenhouse gas emissions, biogas from the anaerobic digestion of organics can be used to generate electricity, biomethane and even compressed for vehicle fuel. However, food waste presents many challenges to treatment technologies: high levels of contamination in the form of plastic, metal and glass packaging, along with grit, can significantly impact AD plant performance if not handled properly. Problems can range from reduced digester performance, plant downtime and additional operational and maintenance costs, all of which can lead to losses in revenue. The key to successful biowaste operation is getting clean slurry into your digester. SUEZ’s new organics separation technology, Re:Sep 2.0, can handle up to 30 per cent of contaminants in a fully integrated process. And separation technology is just part of the story. SUEZ provides advanced technologies for the entire biowaste operation, from reception floor to renewable energy generation.
www.suezwatertechnologies.com/products/biowaste-treatment-solutions
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www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
11 December 2017 09:30 - 16:30 Auditorium of the EESC, Rue Van Maerlant 2, (Rue Belliard) Brussels, Belgium In partnership with
Speakers: On the 20th anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol and following the call of EU Finance ministers on October 10th for a carbon price to stimulate a low carbon economy. WBA and the European Economic and Social Committee of the European Commission are meeting to discuss and analyse the current status on carbon pricing, carbon markets and how these could influence European policies on resource management and recovery. The conference will explore the potential synergy between a post-Paris Emissions Trading System and the European Commission’s Circular Economy policy. For example, how pricing-in the value of avoided carbon emissions, or the cost of carbon emissions, could have a significant impact upon the markets for secondary raw materials from waste.
A highly qualified group of experts from finance and the waste and resource industry will debate these options and eventualities, to help us learn from other industries and countries what a carbon price will mean for waste recyclers, WtE operators, AD operators, landfill managers, and raw material producers.
Dr Janez Potočnik UNEP and former EU Commissioner for the Environment, Co Chair International Resource Panel
Manisha Gulati C40 Cities Finance Facility, Programme Manager
Máximo Miccinilli European Aluminium, Director of Public Affairs and Communications
Why you should attend: • The impact of carbon pricing on businesses • How carbon markets will affect energy and raw materials supply chain costs • The impact of recycling and recovery of waste • Great opportunities to hear high-profile global speakers • Hear debates from Finance and the waste and resource industries • European leaders and decision makers in carbon pricing attending • Great opportunities to network
Programme Topics:
Felicity Spors World Bank, Senior Carbon Finance Specialist
Steve Lee Resources & Waste UK, Director General
Nicole Couder SUEZ Environment, Institutional Relations Officer, Europe and International
Dr Adam Read External Affairs Director, Suez UK Ltd
David Newman World Biogas Association, President
Giovanni Silvestrini Scientific Director, Kyoto Club
Jacob H. Simonsen Danish Waste Association, Managing Director
Pierre Jean Coulon TEN Committee of the EESC, President
Vanya Veras Municipal Waste Europe, Secretary General
• The Big Picture- Resources, Climate, Energy and Carbon Pricing • Experiences, Policies and Actions • The Waste Sector Panel • Conclusions: the politics, where do we go from here? We will pose questions such as: could a carbon price drive up resource recovery? Would pricing in the externalities of emissions caused by making virgin plastic, wood pulp, or aluminium, actually make secondary recovered resources more competitive? What would happen if we taxed the CO2 emissions from WtE plants? What would be the impact of imposing a carbon tax on landfills as was briefly done in Australia?
Ticket prices: Tickets available until 8 December • WBA Member: £310.00 + VAT • Non-member: £395.00 + VAT
Trio Wendel Climate Action Network Europe, Director
worldbiogasassociation.org www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
Ollie More ADBA, Head of Policy
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ADBA National Conference 2017 Preview
Optimising the AD industry to reduce emissions through the 2020s By Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive, ADBA
Registration now open ADBA member:....................................£355 Non-member:......................................£508 Local authority/student:....................£122 (all rates exclude VAT) Register online at adbioresources.org/events
Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting? There’s still time for your company’s name to stand out from the crowd at the key AD conference of the year. Take advantage of one of our sponsorship, advertising or exhibitor packages and ensure your brand reaches a targeted, AD-specific audience. For more information, contact sales@adbioresources.org or call 0203 176 4414.
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With the Brexit negotiations underway and the new government needing to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Fourth and Fifth Carbon Budgets, ADBA’s ninth annual National Conference will examine how we can optimise the AD industry to reduce the UK’s emissions through the 2020s and beyond. AD has significant potential to play a key role in reducing emissions from heat, power, transport, farming, and waste, helping to meet the UK’s climate change targets and support BEIS’s new Clean Growth Strategy. To make this contribution and unlock its full potential, however, AD will require legislative and financial support from government, as well as a step change in plant performance and cost reduction. ADBA’s National Conference will examine the policies that are required to support AD growth in the UK and the best practice and technological developments that can improve AD performance. We will be launching our pioneering Best Practice Scheme, designed to support AD operators to meet the highest operational, health and safety, and environmental standards while reducing their costs and risk. There will also be a range of exhibitors on hand to showcase the latest products and services that can help to optimise your AD business. Join us this year to discuss the drivers shaping our industry with politicians, policymakers and business leaders. With a great range of speakers and exhibitors already on board, it promises to be a must-attend event for all AD professionals.
“A good overview of the current state of the AD industry and some thought-provoking discussions on how the future may look.”
“An excellent opportunity to network with the main players in the UK biogas industry and hear the latest views and issues.”
Steve Morris, Huber Technology
David Reay, CPL Carbon Link
www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
ADBA National Conference 2017 Preview “A great conference. ADBA clearly serving the AD and wider community well.” Sarah Macnaughton, Isis Enterprise
“Excellent conference with valuable industry insights.” Taliesin Maynard, Programme Director, Environment and Sustainable Development, Welsh Government
Topics at a glance • ADBA’s pioneering Best Practice Scheme • Will Brexit bring new opportunities to on-farm AD? • Which gases are best for injection into the grid? • Which food waste collection systems are most effective? • Decarbonising transport through AD
Why attend? • Understand policy changes which may affect your business • Debate with leading political and industry figures about the future of our industry • Influence future policy favourable to the industry • Network with key industry players • Discover how best practice developments can improve AD efficiency
“A very informative day in an excellent venue.” Perry Kirby, Cooperostlund Ltd
Key speakers
“A useful opportunity to understand the latest issues affecting the biogas industry in the UK and to network with other leading organisations involved in the sector.” Padraig Murray, Dundalk Institute of Technology
• The Rt Hon the Lord Deben, Chairman, Committee on Climate Change • Dr Alan Whitehead MP, Shadow Minister, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Energy & Climate Change • Professor Ian Lamont Boyd, Chief Scientific Adviser, Defra • Jonathan Hood, Senior Policy Adviser, Department for Transport • Charlotte Smith, Presenter/Journalist, BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today and BBC 1’s Countryfile • Guy Smith, Vice President, NFU • Chris Huhne, Strategic Adviser, ADBA • Councillor Clyde Loakes, Chair, Resource London • Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland • Alan Midwinter, Senior Business Development Manager, Scotia Gas Networks • Andrew Wilkinson, Head of Service, Conwy Council • David Parkin, Director of Safety and Network Strategy, Cadent Gas • Justin Laney, General Manager – Central Transport, Waitrose • Philipp Lukas, Managing Director, Future Biogas • Susan Relf, Compliance Director, Agrivert • Dr Amaya Arias-Garcia, Technical Director, GOALS PME • Andy Eastlake, Managing Director, LowCVP Any many more – to see the full programme turn to p22-23.
www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
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ADBA National Conference 2017 Programme
ADBA National Conference 2017 Optimising the AD industry to reduce emissions through the 2020s Time session 09.00 – 09.30
Registration and networking
09.30 – 09.40
Welcome and introduction Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive, ADBA
09.40 – 10.00 Keynote Following the government’s adoption of the CCC’s recommendations on the Fifth Carbon Budget, Lord Deben will deliver his analysis of the next steps, including the policy measures that the government will need to adopt to meet its greenhouse gas emissions targets. The Rt Hon the Lord Deben, Chairman, Committee on Climate Change (CCC) 10.00 – 10.20 Keynote Ms Perry will set out the key elements of the government’s Clean Growth Strategy, which provides a blueprint for the UK's decarbonisation pathway through the 2020s and early 2030s, and the role that AD can make towards meeting the UK’s Carbon Budgets. Claire Perry MP, Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (tbc) 10.20 – 10.40 Liberate more biogas now! Microwaves can dramatically improve biogas yield by rapidly breaking down materials at a cellular level prior to the AD process. Stephen Roe will present the findings of recent trials on four popular feedstocks and how these results could revolutionise the industry with higher yields and shorter retention times. Stephen will also make the business case for the use of microwave technology, looking at the ROI for a range of AD plants, and how marginal AD projects could become viable using AMT’s microwave pre-treatment. Stephen Roe, CEO, Advanced Microwave Technology (AMT) 10.40 – 11.10 Break and exhibition 11.10 – 12.40 Post-Brexit on-farm AD Can farming and energy policy be coordinated post-Brexit? With the UK and EU deep in negotiations on a new deal for 2019, the UK will soon be making decisions on how it should support farmers once payments from the Common Agricultural Policy end. AD offers the government the chance to stabilise farm incomes, cut greenhouse gases and improve energy security. Will it take this opportunity? Chair: Charlotte Smith, Presenter, BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today and BBC1’s Countryfile Ollie More, Head of Policy, ADBA Chris Huhne, Strategic Adviser, ADBA Guy Smith, Vice President, National Farmers’ Union Charlie Finningham, Managing Director, Strutt and Parker Farms David Kaner, Chief Executive, Advanced Anaerobics 12.40 – 13.00 Keynote Professor Boyd will discuss the importance of recycling food waste through AD and the need for mandatory separate food waste collections in England to facilitate this. Professor Ian Lamont Boyd FSB FRSE, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 13.00 – 14.00 Lunch and exhibition
For full programme including session descriptions, go to adbioresources.org
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ADBA National Conference 2017 Programme
ADBA National Conference 2017 Optimising the AD industry to reduce emissions through the 2020s Time session 14.00 – 15.30 Breakout session 1: ADBA Best Practice Scheme launch This session will discuss the launch of ADBA’s Best Practice Scheme for AD, a pioneering, industry-led initiative designed to improve the environmental, operational and safety performance of the AD industry. Hear from some of those involved in developing the scheme, who will explain why it is so important and how AD operators can benefit from participating. Chair: Jess Allan, Environment and Regulation Manager, ADBA Dr Amaya Arias-Garcia, Technical Director, GOALS PME Carl Gurney, Renewable Energy Director, Jelf Insurance and Risk Management Brokers Nick Johnn, Director, Aardvark Certification Ltd Environment Agency representative (tbc) Susan Relf, Compliance Director, Agrivert 14.00 – 15.30 Breakout session 2: Which gas is best for injection into the UK gas grid? Whilst biomethane is already recognised as an ideal gas for injection, there are questions over whether hydrogen could form part of the mix, or even whether the grid needs to be converted to take only hydrogen. But what would be best in the long run? Chair: Dr Alan Whitehead MP, Shadow Minister, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Energy & Climate Change Grant Ashton, Chief Executive, Green Gas Trading Professor Richard Dinsdale, Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales Alan Midwinter, Senior Business Development Manager, Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) Philipp Lukas, Managing Director, Future Biogas David Parkin, Director of Safety and Network Strategy, Cadent Gas 15.30 – 16.00
Break and exhibition
16.00 – 17.30 Breakout session 3: What are the most effective food waste collection systems and what can we learn from them? Local authorities from all four UK nations that have successfully implemented food waste collection systems will discuss the associated benefits and challenges, with a focus on the changes required for all local authorities to follow suit. Chair: Councillor Clyde Loakes, Waltham Forest Deputy Leader, Cabinet Member for Environment and Chair of Resource London Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland Martin Doherty, Project Manager, Belfast City Council Linda Crichton, Head of Resource Management, WRAP Andrew Wilkinson, Head of Service, Conwy Council 16.00 – 17.30 Breakout session 4: The role of AD in decarbonising transport While progress on transport decarbonisation has been slow to date, the Department for Transport has proposed amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation that will increase the proportion of renewable fuel in the UK from 4.75 per cent to 9.75 per cent by 2020, and further to 12.4 per cent by 2032. This will be accompanied by a new obligation on fuel suppliers to reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions of the fuel they supply. Join us in this session to learn about these policy changes and the low carbon credentials of biomethane from those in the know. Chair: Andrew Whittles, Managing Director, Low Emission Strategies Jonathan Hood, Senior Policy Adviser, Department for Transport Justin Laney, General Manager, Central Transport, Waitrose Andy Eastlake, Managing Director, LowCVP Will Llewellyn, Director, Red Kite Management Ltd 17.30
Conference finish
17.30 – 21.00
Networking drinks
www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
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ADBA National Conference 2017 Exhibitor/Sponsor Preview Increasing biogas yields by 62% Platinum sponsor During Advanced Microwave Technology’s (AMT’s) research work on applying microwave technology to AD, the company participated in last year’s ADBA R&I Forum in York. The theme of the event was 30 per cent Stephen Roe, more biogas, a target that seemed CEO of AMT challenging yet necessary to maintain profitability in the industry. Since then, the team at AMT, working with leading academic institutes, has developed and tested pre-treatment technology that not only achieves that 30 per cent target but exceeds it, as CEO Stephen Roe explains: “We have achieved biogas yield increases of 40-62 per cent from a wide range of feedstock. Not only is the yield increased, the retention time is reduced, increasing productivity and profitability. Our AMT technology can be scaled up to an industrial level with immediate returns, meaning a short payback period of as little as 18 months. At this year’s ADBA National Conference I look forward to sharing our research results and the business case for using microwave pre-treatment technology in maximising biogas yield.” www.advancedmicrowavetechnologies.com
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Taking biomethane to the next level Air Liquide has developed technologies and expertise that span the entire biomethane value chain, including designing its own membrane technology for upgrading biogas. Air Liquide is exhibiting at the ADBA National Conference in order to share its experience with the wider UK AD industry. Its solutions enable biogas to be upgraded for subsequent injection into the natural gas grid, for use as a vehicle fuel, and for the production of renewable hydrogen from biomethane. The Group already has two biomethane plants in operation in the UK and a further four in construction, as well as nearly 50 biogas sites worldwide and almost 60 bio-NGV (natural gas for vehicle) fuelling stations in Europe, including three in the UK. “The ADBA National Conference is a key event to meet AD industry stakeholders in the UK and discuss the drivers that shape this industry, in order to reduce emissions,” says CEO, Air Liquide Advanced Business & Technology UK, David Hurren. www.airliquide.com
www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
ADBA National Conference 2017 Exhibitor/Sponsor Preview Wide-ranging digestate solutions Vogelsang offers rotary lobe and progressive cavity pumps, inline RotaCut macerators and XRipper shredders. The company also provides multiple digester feed system solutions – CC Mix, EnergyJet and Premix – to efficiently mix, homogenise and macerate agricultural, food waste or sewage sludge feedstocks with an appropriate liquid feedstock, tailored on a case-by-case basis to suit the specific application. In addition, Vogelsang offers systems for applying digestate back to land and the company’s Managing Director, James Tolson, is looking forward to discussing this range with visitors to the event: “Our digestate range includes dribble bars and the XTill strip tillage system with integral digestate injection, as well as the ExaCut and Dosimat distributors for fitting to other manufacturers’ digestate or slurry application systems. We regularly exhibit at ADBA’s National Conference and the event gives us an excellent opportunity to meet prospective investors in the AD sector, and network with existing customers and operators.” www.vogelsang.co.uk
Encouraging the growth of renewable gas
Cadent is excited to be exhibiting for the first time at the ADBA National Conference and sharing with visitors everything they’re doing to encourage the growth of renewable gas. As the largest gas distributor in the UK, operating in the North West of England, the Midlands, East Anglia and North London, the company is looking forward to talking about its existing portfolio of biomethane sites and its experiences connecting the first commercial compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling station to its high pressure system in Leyland, near Preston. Cadent also wants to share successes and raise awareness of other infrastructure with capability for refuelling stations and is encouraging conference visitors to tell them their thoughts on this, and on its wider work to ensure the gas network is at the centre of the low emission energy system of the future. Alternatively, you can email Cadent at Box.NonStandardConne@cadentgas.com www.cadentgas.com
www.adbioresources.org adbioresources.org
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Advice Clinic: On-farm AD
Feedstock is key to a healthy plant In our regular advice column, ADBA members provide answers to some common AD queries
Q A
Why has my gas production reduced, even though my feeding recipe hasn’t changed?
Even though most on-farm AD plants are fed by weight of fresh material, it’s the amount of dry matter (DM) that a digester is fed that will determine the amount of gas produced. Many operators test the contents of their digester for the amount of DM, but how often do they test their feedstocks? Manures and other materials are often kept in temporary storage. However, 50 litres of rainwater absorbed by one tonne of farmyard manure might reduce the energy in one tonne of fresh material fed to the AD plant by one per cent. For drier material like poultry litter, it could be as high as three per cent. This could cause an operator to look for a complex solution, when all that is required is a more regular DM test of their feedstocks and a revision of their feed plan. Even without the addition of rainfall, DM will vary within the clamp, just as the quality of crops will vary from field to field. It is therefore recommended that feedstock DM is tested monthly, or whenever there is a possibility of a change in the DM. Bill Stokes, Partner, William Stokes Consulting E bill@billstokes.co.uk T +44 (0)7813 145575 www.billstokes.co.uk
Q A
How can I avoid wasting feedstocks?
There has been much discussion about the use of, and efforts to improve, energy extracted from AD feedstocks; optimising plant biology, better feedstock preparation and tank zoning are just some examples. But a fundamental question that’s sometime overlooked is what’s coming out of the back end of your AD plant? We have examined nine plants in detail; all are single stage singular tanks (not ring-in-ring), process crops and agri-wastes, are located in Europe and run at quite high volatile solids rates (>5kgVS/m3/day). Based on an average feedstock biogas yield of 210m3/tonne we were shocked to find that the solid digestate coming out still had a biogas potential of, on average, nearly 90m3/tonne. Admittedly, this contained the harder-to-digest material, but it had already been subjected to the conditions in the tank for 60 days (varying pH, temperature and mixing). Trials are now running at three plants to investigate reprocessing some digestate internally, to determine the effect on hydraulic retention time, volatile solids rates and gas yields, and more importantly, running costs. We need greater efficiency in the industry to move past subsidies – this could be a significant start for many plants to improve efficiency and costs. Mark Clayton, Director, Aardvark EM Ltd E markclayton@aardvarkem.co.uk T +44 (0)1984 624989 www.aardvarkem.co.uk 26
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How important is feedstock quality, process consistency and regular digester testing for an on-farm AD operation?
Feedstock consistency is vitally important to the successful running of an AD plant. We go to great lengths to ensure excellent quality feedstock is produced, starting with land preparation and continuing right through to harvest, ensiling and clamp management. It’s also important to feed consistent rations. Introducing new feedstock into the ration should be done slowly, increasing the new feedstock over time. Consistent ration, consistent quantity and consistent feeding times are all vital. Digester health is also a key aspect. We constantly monitor our digesters and record the results to enable us to see what is going right or wrong. That way, if there is ever a problem, we have the data to help us return our digesters to a healthy state. Simon Blades, AD Manager, Beeswax Dyson E simon.blades@beeswaxdyson.com T +44 (0)7540 892202 www.beeswaxdyson.com
Next issue: Plant Update 2018 Send in details of any new AD projects planned for 2018, for inclusion in our annual Plant Update feature. kate.oreilly@adbioresources.org
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Government & Agency News New name for GIB following Macquarie acquisition
Waste in Westminster Our External Affairs Manager, Jon Harrison, reports on the latest waste news from Parliament
Party Conference round-up A Macquarie-led consortium has successfully completed the acquisition of the UK Green Investment Bank from HM Government for £2.3bn. Under Macquarie’s ownership, the Green Investment Bank will operate under the name Green Investment Group (GIG) and will remain one of the leading investors in green infrastructure in the UK and Europe, with added scope to expand internationally. Macquarie has committed to GIG’s target of leading £3bn of investment in green energy projects over the next three years, operating in accordance with its established green purpose. The team will continue to be based in Edinburgh and London, and will be led by Edward Northam, working closely with Macquarie Capital’s senior leadership team. www.greeninvestmentgroup.com
Biogas buses hit the streets of Runcorn Arriva has welcomed nine new biogas buses to its fleet in Runcorn following a £2m investment. The new 43-seater, carbon-neutral models are powered by renewable gas and comply with the latest Euro 6 emission standards, helping to reduce the level of harmful exhaust emissions. The single-deck buses form part of Arriva’s wider clean air strategy, which will see a total of 72 hybrid, gas and electric buses introduced to services across Merseyside during 2017 following a £21m investment in the Liverpool city region. This includes £5m of government OLEV funding, sourced via a joint bid as part of the Liverpool City Region Bus Alliance. Phil Stone, Regional Managing Director for Arriva North West and Wales, commented: “Every aspect of these new buses has been designed to be more environmentally friendly, from the interior e-leather seats to the reduced carbon emissions. We are hopeful that these updates will make travelling by bus easier, making these buses the preferred choice for everyday journeys.” www.arrivabus.co.uk
This edition is not so much Waste in Westminster as Waste in Brighton and Manchester as the main parties headed off for their annual conferences outside of the capital. The gatherings are a chance for party members to catch up, Ministers to preen themselves on the main stage and most importantly, for policy debates to happen both in and out of the main hall. Before conference season kicked off, Charlotte Morton and I met MP for Bristol East Kerry McCarthy, who at the time of writing was seeking election to the Environmental Audit Committee. Kerry was keen to assist with our work to improve food waste collections and has written on our behalf to the Minister responsible for waste policy, urging better oversight and enforcement of the food waste hierarchy. Kerry has also MP for Bristol East Kerry McCarthy tabled parliamentary questions on a whole range of topics relating to food waste, getting useful answers out of Ministers on food waste collections in particular. Charlotte attended the Labour Conference in Brighton, where ADBA co-sponsored an evening reception in partnership with SERA and the Sustainability Hub. Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Sue Hayman MP gave a keynote speech at the SERA Rally, pointing to the huge amount of work needed over the coming months to ensure that the significant mass of EU law relating to agriculture and the environment is properly debated and considered by Parliament. I represented ADBA at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, attending a breakfast meeting where Secretary of State for the Environment Michael Gove MP spoke about the importance of soil productivity and conservation as we look to help farmers improve their output post-Brexit. Given the role that digestate can play in soil health, this is an angle that we will be following up with him in the weeks to come. Mr Gove also confirmed that the long-delayed 25 Year Plan for Nature should be out before Christmas.
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
We will be following these developments closely now that Parliament has reconvened for the autumn session; its first proper chance to legislate and scrutinise policy since the election was called way back in April. It promises to be a busy few months.
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ADBA Biomethane & Gas Vehicle Conference Review
Transporting the UK to a greener future
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DBA’s Biomethane and Gas Vehicle Conference took place on 28 September 2017 in Leeds and proved to be a huge success. Attended by 120 delegates, the event featured expert speakers from across the AD and transport sector who discussed the future of the industry and debated current developments. The Conference was particularly well-timed, aligning with the Department for Transport’s (DfT) recent commitment to increase the obligated amount of fuel that suppliers must source from renewable fuels such as biomethane.
Biomethane buses
An exciting line-up of speakers opened with a welcome and introduction from Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of ADBA. Andrew Whittles, Managing Director of Low Emissions Strategies, then spoke about the progress that has been made on transport decarbonisation and improving air quality from buses across the UK, sharing success stories from cities such as Reading, Nottingham and Leeds, all of which have introduced biomethane-fuelled bus fleets. Andy Davey, Strategic Development Manager at Engie, also shared a case study on reducing carbon emissions in the Ile de France (Paris). This was a compelling example, describing the energy transition as one of decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation, with green gas coming from multiple sources, including biomethane.
Decarbonising both heat and transport
A panel debate entitled, Is transport the future of the AD industry? and chaired by ADBA’s Policy Manager Thom Koller, concluded that rather than focusing all
its efforts on decarbonising just one sector, the AD industry shouldn’t have to choose – it has an important role to play in decarbonising both heat and transport. Meanwhile, other sessions covered topics such as buses and municipal vehicles, how to stimulate the biomethane market, off-grid solutions for gas vehicle refuelling stations, and an overview of the government response to the RTFO consultation. The final panel of speakers shared their views on HGVs and Light Duty Commercial Vehicles.
The perfect mix
The discussion topics really engaged the audience, with an unprecedented number of questions being put to speakers during the question and answer sessions. Representation came from across the industry, including fuel and equipment suppliers, developers, funders, local government and consultants. Networking among delegates, speakers, exhibitors and sponsors afforded a great opportunity to share experiences. The feedback was excellent, with one delegate saying the event had attracted the ‘perfect attendees’ with ‘all the right players in the room’. As the Conference drew to a close, the consensus in the room was one of optimism going forward. The environmental and economic benefits of biomethane as a fuel are now apparent to everyone. When talking about whether there would be more biomethane in transport, one speaker said it would be a ‘question of when, not if’. The message is clear – biomethane looks well set to deliver decarbonisation in the transport sector.
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Biomethane Special Biomethane from manufacturing residues as an HGV fuel By Richard Gueterbock, Marketing Director of Clearfleau Ltd, provider of on-site bioenergy plants for food and beverage processing factories The British food industry remains under pressure to reduce emissions and its environmental impact. Manufacturers need alternative sources of energy for their production processes and transport of raw materials and products. Bioenergy from factory process residues can help meet both requirements. In the past decade, a number of AD plants have been built on factory sites, reducing emissions and fossil fuel demand. Energy-rich liquid process residues from distilleries and dairies are being converted into renewable energy for factory use. Digestion allows sites to replace more traditional, energy-intensive solutions for disposal of energy-rich processing residues and access the available calorific value. To date, using biogas on factory sites has mainly involved CHP engines, generating electricity and heat.
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A more circular economy requires new sources of raw materials, more efficient production systems and low carbon fuels for production and product transportation. Smaller businesses that proliferate in the food sector need support to match investment by larger multinationals. Wider UK adoption of industrial bioenergy will stimulate economic growth, boost engineering jobs, and encourage innovation. By producing renewable fuel in an on-site AD plant, a business can protect itself from rising prices and make energy budgeting more predictable. Biomethane for HGV fuel is supported by government through the RTFO, although a more strategic approach to industrial bioenergy is required. www.clearfleau.com
First Milk’s Aspatria plant in Cumbria uses on-site AD to convert cheese-making residues into biogas, supplying upgraded biomethane, via the gas grid, to the site and other local users. The site has cut fossil fuel use while improving the disposal of its residues and reducing its carbon emissions. However, transport is also a key function for the food sector, with raw materials delivered to food processing sites and finished products distributed to retailers. Cleaner transport will therefore transform business models that evolved when resource efficiency was of less concern. A recent study undertaken by Andrew Winship of Aker Associates Ltd explored on-site production of biomethane at a smaller scale in the food sector to replace diesel for commercial vehicles. This could be attractive on dairy sites, where biomethane generated from milk processing residues could fuel trucks that collect milk from local farms and deliver cheese and other products to retailers. While diesel is the dominant fuel for commercial vehicles, concerns about air pollution will require food and drink manufacturers to find alternatives. Electric power is not a viable proposition for larger trucks used in commercial transport. Manufacturers can supply trucks that operate on natural gas or compressed or liquid biomethane (CBM and LBM). Use of biomethane in transport is more widespread in parts of Europe but UK commercial fleets are now starting to use gas to power HGVs, delivering significant greenhouse gas savings.
On-site biomethane plant at First Milk’s Aspatria cheese creamery
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Members’ News & Views Undersowing trial promotes sustainable maize farming
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Securing a reliable feedstock supply is vital to the profitability of an AD plant, but since the introduction of the sustainability criteria, it’s more important than ever that this feedstock is also sustainable. A maize undersowing trial by E4 Environment and Shropshire Wildlife Trust on a North Shropshire farm has demonstrated the benefits of taking a sustainable approach to growing this popular AD feedstock, as Mandy Stoker, Director of E4 Environment, explains… Delivering high biogas yields, maize is a key feedstock for many on-farm AD operators. Although it usually results in a straightforward harvest, maize has the tendency to leave the ground totally bare and exposed to inclement weather conditions. Not only does this cause soil degradation, it can also give the AD industry a bad reputation. Recent estimates by Cranfield Soil scientists show soil degradation costs the UK between £0.9bn and £1.4bn per year.
At Hilley Farm, maize was undersown using a seed drill and tine harrow combination
The maize undersowing trial that we conducted was designed by Antony Wade, Technical Manager of Agrovista. Barry Jones, of Hilley Farm, was eager to find a solution to reduce the negative outcomes of maize farming so as part of the trial, six cover crop options were tested over full field-length strips. All treatments germinated successfully and formed substantial swards. The three post-harvest applications were disappointing and this approach was felt to be risky, mainly because of the unpredictability of the autumn weather conditions. “As a practice to improve soil in terms of fibre content and friability, undersowing maize with cover crops is of great benefit to us,” said Barry. “The important thing is to apply them post-weed control and to do it in a way that maximises soil to seed contact. We used a seed drill and tine harrow combination in between the rows of maize. Once set up, it worked a treat.” Pete Lambert, River Projects Manager at Shropshire Wildlife Trust, is confident that the trial will spark debate in the UK’s maize growing community: “Where there is recognised value in the treatments, then we hope enhanced cultivations will keep soil where it needs to be – in the field, growing food.” The full report can be found at www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk www.e4environment.co.uk
Undersowing maize with cover crops helps to reduce soil degradation
Borger delivers savings for on-farm AD plant A macerator and two pumps from Borger are delivering significant savings at a farm-based AD plant in Lincolnshire. Part of a bespoke container system designed and built by Gissing FE, exclusive distributors of Borger’s equipment for the UK agricultural market, the macerator handles digestate from the farm’s lagoon, whilst the new rotary lobe pumps have replaced inefficient centrifugal units. Requiring just one generator to power three electric motors, the compact container system reduces emissions for a spreading operation that would usually need two to three large tractors, plus the diesel and manpower to go with it. In addition, Gissing has designed the system so that it can be used for spreading as well as stirring the lagoon. The Borger pumps can be started, stopped, or revved up and down from the operator’s cab, from where the driver can see what flow rates are being achieved. www.boerger.com 30
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Gissing’s custom-built container system with Borger’s pumps and macerator
Members’ News & Views NFU buys agriculture energy consultancy FEC Energy
L-R: The NFU’s Terry Jones and FEC Energy’s Chris Plackett
The NFU has bought leading agriculture energy consultancy FEC Energy. FEC Energy provides help to farmers to buy and sell energy, generate heat and electricity, use energy more efficiently and reduce the compliance burden of energy regulation. NFU Director General Terry Jones said: “Culturally, the two organisations are a great fit; both value knowledge and expertise, understand the needs of farming businesses and are committed to the continued success of the sector. The acquisition is an important part of the NFU’s new vision and strategy to deliver for members. In addition to receiving an improved energy service, the move will broaden and deepen the capabilities of the NFU enabling it to provide new services and products for farmers and growers.” www.nfuonline.com www.fec-energy.co.uk
Wärtsilä acquires Puregas Solutions Technology group Biogas upgrading Wärtsilä has reached specialist Puregas an agreement to Solutions turned over acquire Puregas €21m in 2016 Solutions, Swedish provider of turnkey biogas upgrading solutions with subsidiary companies in Germany, Denmark, the UK and the USA. The transaction is valued at €29m with an additional maximum sum of €7.3m to be paid, based on the performance of the business in the coming year. The acquisition will provide Wärtsilä with added equipment and expertise in biogas upgrading and will complement the company’s existing position in the biogas liquefaction market. “Puregas Solutions has grown successfully in recent years and we have now reached the point where it makes sense to achieve further growth by joining forces with a truly global technology specialist,” says Jan Molin, Chief Executive of Puregas Solutions. “Wärtsilä is a company with a similar philosophy to our own and we look forward to an exciting future together.” www.puregas-solutions.com
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Members’ News & Views AD secures young farmer’s future Staffordshire-based farmer Rob Greenow has successfully established his own AD business, allowing him to secure his future in farming – all before the age of 30. Combining an interest in renewable energy with his farming experience, Rob Greenow established AD management business BioG UK just a couple of years after leaving university. The success of the business has seen him become a partner of choice for AD finance company Privilege Finance.
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“While studying at Reading University I completed my dissertation on ammonia volatisation and the spreading application types of digestate from AD plants,” says Rob. “At the time, AD was only just becoming popular in the agricultural industry but I could see its future potential. So, after graduation, I joined an AD company and was involved in the planning and running of various sites. But in 2012, I decided to go it alone and set up BioG UK, hoping that one day I would be able to establish my own plant.” “I initially hoped to support farmers through the feasibility and planning stages of an AD plant build, but after two years I shifted my focus to concentrate on helping existing AD plant owners troubleshoot and manage their plants,” continues Rob. “In 2016, I completed the purchase of a 162-acre arable farm, at around the same time as two years’ worth of planning came off for the development of my own AD plant at Batchacre Hall Farm, Staffordshire. Finance for the £1.9m plant was secured in May 2016 with Privilege Finance. I explored other options but Privilege was willing to take a measured risk without securing large bonds against the farm. They trust me to get on with the job. As long as I meet the
parameters they essentially leave me to it, although I know they’re always there if I need support.” Rob concludes that although it’s been a challenging few years he wouldn’t change any of it: “I’m really looking forward to the future. AD is an exciting area to be involved in and I encourage any farmer looking to diversify to consider it.” Find out more about Rob Greenow by visiting www.biog-uk.co.uk www.privilegeprojectfinance.co.uk/case-studies See feature, On-farm AD, p10
ABP Food Group invests £22m in new AD plant Olleco, the renewable division of ABP Food Group, has invested £22m in a new 15 MW AD plant in Aylesbury that will produce enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of 12,000 homes. The ABP Food Group facility is located adjacent to the Arla dairy, allowing the dairy to become a zero-carbon milk processing facility.
Olleco’s 15 MW Aylesbury AD plant
Robert Behan, Managing Director of Olleco, said the new facility is an excellent example of the circular economy in action, with multiple supply chain partners working together to deliver a truly sustainable outcome: “This state of the art facility will convert in excess of 100,000 tonnes of waste into heat, power and biomethane for export to the national grid, and biofertiliser for ABP Food Group’s and Arla’s farmer suppliers.” Sustainability is at the heart of ABP Food Group’s operations. In 2015, it opened the world’s first certified carbon-neutral abattoir in Ellesmere, where waste material from the food processing operation is used in conjunction with 32
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used cooking oil to provide the energy requirements on site. Earlier this year, it achieved triple accreditation from The Carbon Trust for the third consecutive year; one of only a handful of companies to have achieved such accreditation. www.olleco.co.uk
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Members’ News & Views New food waste plant for Severn Trent
Work is underway on Severn Trent’s new food waste AD plant in Spondon, Derby. The £20m facility will treat 50,000 tpa of waste food from businesses and waste management companies in the Derby area and produce biomethane for injection into the local gas network. Engineering firm Jones Celtic BioEnergy has been awarded the contract to build the plant, which will be similar in design to Severn Trent’s existing food waste plant in Coleshill and another which has just been completed at Roundhill, near Stourbridge. “We currently generate the equivalent of more than a third of the energy we use through renewable sources and we’re aiming to increase that to 50 per cent by 2020,” said Severn Trent’s Peter Ravenscroft, who is leading the project. “If everything goes to plan we expect the new food waste plant in Spondon to be in use by the middle of 2018 and it will have a big impact on helping us reach that ambitious target.” www.stwater.co.uk www.celticbioenergy.com
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Agrivert secures 15-year food waste contract Eight months after the opening of its fourth AD plant, situated in Bridgend, Agrivert has signed a 15-year contract with Bridgend and Swansea Councils Food waste is delivered to the reception of Agrivert’s to recycle Bridgend plant approximately 18,000 tpa of household food waste. Processing 48,000 tonnes of food and liquid wastes each year and generating 3 MW of renewable electricity, Agrivert’s Bridgend facility is the biggest food waste AD plant in Wales and already provides food recycling services for Ceredigion, Powys and Pembrokeshire Councils, as well as local businesses. Digestate produced at the plant is used as an organic fertiliser on 3,000 acres of local arable land, with much of it being pumped directly onto neighbouring farms thereby reducing vehicle movements to and from the site. Councillor Hywel Williams, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Deputy Leader, said: “As well as helping to reduce our carbon footprint, this arrangement means that the by-products of our residents’ food waste will be used locally, while it also benefits local employment.” www.agrivert.co.uk
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Policy Government publishes Clean Growth Strategy In mid-October the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published its long-overdue Clean Growth Strategy, which sets out how the government plans to cut emissions and grow the economy in a sustainable way. The strategy sets a number of aims relevant to the AD industry, including cutting food waste and investing in low carbon heat and transport. It also states that the government will continue to work with the AD sector to cut methane emissions and meet carbon and air quality goals, while improving best practice to ensure digestate spreading reduces ammonia emissions.
For up-to-the-minute information and advice on regulations, consultations and government news, contact our Head of Policy, Ollie More T +44 (0)203 567 0751 E ollie.more@adbioresources.org Fourth and Fifth Carbon Budgets over the next 15 years – what is needed now is tangible policy and financial support for AD so it can help to meet the strategy’s goals. For more information, contact ollie.more@adbioresources.org
The strategy included a welcome ambition to divert all food waste from landfill by 2030 and support local authorities in rolling out separate food waste collections, both important in helping to maximise the amount of food waste feedstock for AD. BEIS also pledged to publish a Resources & Waste Strategy that will focus on the environmental impacts of ‘end-of-life’ management of resources and materials. We welcomed the publication of the strategy and highlighted in our press release (see http://bit.ly/2kSCbha) that AD can play a central role in many of the strategy’s thematic areas: heat, electricity, transport, farming, and waste. The strategy is a positive sign that the government is starting to think about how we can make the deep emissions cuts that will be necessary to meet the
Boost for biomethane for transport the decision to omit biomethane was to allow space for advanced fuels that do not currently exist but which have the potential to be developed, particularly low carbon aviation fuels (which have proven extremely difficult to produce at scale and at low cost). DfT’s concern was that biomethane would have undercut and crowded out such new fuels due to its established market position and relatively low cost.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has published its response to its consultation on changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which aims to increase the penetration of low carbon fuels such as biomethane. The reforms will obligate fuel suppliers to provide 9.75 per cent of all fuels from renewable sources by 2020, a doubling of the current 4.75 per cent obligation that will then rise to 12.4 per cent by 2032, helping to align the RTFO with the government’s Fifth Carbon Budget. This increase goes beyond what was originally consulted on and will create a positive investment environment for renewable fuels, from which biomethane is perfectly positioned to benefit (as we highlighted in our press release: http://bit.ly/2gKmKDq). However, in an unforeseen turnaround, biomethane was excluded from the ‘development fuel’ sub-category, for which a sub-target was set at 0.1 per cent in 2019, rising to 2.8 per cent in 2032. DfT has confirmed that
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DfT has also introduced a cap on crop-based fuels, which will be set at four per cent in 2018 and then reduce in equal increments annually from 2021 to reach three per cent in 2026 and two per cent in 2032. DfT has confirmed to ADBA that the crop cap is a long term signal from government that it will favour waste-based biofuels. It has also acknowledged, however, that availability of wastes is a ‘known unknown’, and we will certainly continue to make the point that much waste, such as household and business food waste, remains unavailable due to a lack of government legislation.
Get involved DfT’s intention is to implement the RTFO reforms by April 2018. We are very keen to gather thoughts from ADBA members on what the RTFO reforms mean for you, and we’ve also written an introductory guide to the RTFO for those not already familiar with it: http://bit.ly/2yhfhWB. To find out more, contact emiliano.lewis@adbioresources.org
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Policy Supporting decentralised energy
FURTHER RHI DELAY
In the absence of any replacement for the Feed-In Tariff, which is due to end by March 2019, ADBA has met with a number of other renewables trade bodies to discuss the possibility of a joint sector deal for decentralised energy, to be submitted to BEIS as part of the government’s Industrial Strategy.
BEIS has confirmed that the legislation required to introduce the increased biomethane and biogas tariffs, tariff guarantees and crop restrictions to the RHI will be delayed until the start of next year.
A sector deal is unlikely to involve primary legislation or new money going to small scale renewables but is likely to seek changes to business rates, taxation, planning regulations, and network charging, amongst others. Given that the Industrial Strategy is BEIS’s main focus at the moment alongside Brexit, a sector deal may be one of the best avenues to get a better deal from government for AD and to ensure that small scale renewables appear in BEIS’s Industrial Strategy White Paper, due to be published before the end of the year. It is also a good opportunity for renewables trade bodies to work together in a joined-up way, allowing us to have a stronger collective voice when seeking support from government. For more information, contact ollie.more@adbioresources.org
WRAP publishes household food waste guidance WRAP has republished its industry guidance on the management of liners at household food waste AD facilities. The guidance has been designed to assist AD operators accepting and treating wet household food waste from local authorities and the food supply chain, including food manufacturers and retailers. It deals with the management of liners (particularly plastic polyethylene liners), aiming to summarise the key issues that operators face and set out standard operating procedures for complying with PAS 110. Since the use of liners significantly increases food waste recycling levels, an increasing number of local authorities are now allowing the use of polyethylene rather than compostable liners in food waste caddies. Plastics, however, are one of the main contaminants in AD systems, particularly wet ones. If digestate contains significant amounts of plastics it will fail to comply with the PAS 110 standard. To ensure plastic contamination in the end product is minimised, food collection and treatment systems need to be closely aligned. WRAP’s updated guidance therefore sets out standard operating procedures for the acceptance and management of food waste in liners, which include: • Contractual specifications; • Pre-waste acceptance procedures; • On-site waste acceptance procedures; • Identification of contamination prior to treatment; and • Removal and management of contamination. The guidance also sets out potential innovative approaches that could be used to increase collaboration between those producing waste, those responsible for its collection, and AD operators, including learning from and adopting systems used to measure physical contaminants across the rest of Europe.
The legislation was due to be introduced this autumn, but has been put back again due to the delay in re-establishing the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, a packed legislative timetable following the election period backlog, and a vast legislative requirement for Brexit. BEIS is now aiming to introduce the legislation as early as possible in 2018 and says that it is still committed to implementing the December 2016 consultation in full. This is another significant setback to the AD industry and we've written to the Department and Ministers both directly and in collaboration with other associations to make clear the impact this will have on new plants being built. ADBA also understands that BEIS is considering imposing restrictions on the amount of investment in renewable heat that can receive a guaranteed tariff rate, which could potentially mean some new plants missing out on RHI support entirely. We will be discussing these developments at our Autumn Members’ Meeting on 8 November, where a BEIS official will be joining us to give more information on the proposed changes. In the meantime we will continue to push BEIS to guarantee tariff rates as soon as possible and will keep members updated as soon as we hear any further news. For more information, contact ollie.more@adbioresources.org
You can access the guidance here: http://bit.ly/2xDpjg4 For more information, contact ollie.more@adbioresources.org
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R&I Update
Don’t think of digestate in isolation There is some great work going on at Lancaster University, in conjunction with other partners, on using a variety of biological processing co-products to produce quality products such as new fertilisers. One particular project looks at combining the ash produced from wood-burning (clean wood) with digestate from different kinds of AD plants. This project is called Adding Value to Ash and Digestate (AVAnD).
Disposing of ash is a cost to many wood burners – landfilling may cost £80 per tonne. And while digestate has a varying value, more often than not it also incurs a disposal cost. Combining these materials, in particular their nutrient values, can have important benefits. So far, the results look promising, with wheat-growing trials showing high above-ground biomass and tiller numbers/branching. But this project forms part of a wider picture and begs the question, is the AD industry too focused on considering digestate in isolation? Digestate could be blended with a whole range of other materials, such as garden or park waste, to provide the perfect compost for different crops and conditions. Unfortunately, the regulatory and PAS regimes currently limit what can be done. By accepting packaged and contaminated material, the waste AD industry limits how the end product can be used. Using biodegradeable bags in food waste collections might open up more opportunities in the long term, even if it means incurring a higher cost to provide these bags, rather than plastic ones, in the short term. However, it was great to learn that Homebase and other retailers are now selling bagged digestate-derived fertiliser in 200 of its stores (see feature, On-farm AD, p10). In addition, organic certification for crops is now being attained by farmers using some digestates. The value of not only nutrients but also fibre is finally starting to take shape. In conclusion, we should be inspired by this project to consider how mixing products together, and ultimately biorefining them, can be made to work on a commercial scale.
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ADBA R&I Forum 2018 Preview
Discover the latest AD innovations We are busy putting together the programme for our next ADBA Research and Innovation (R&I) Forum, to be held at the University of Sheffield on 11 April 2018. The event brings together leading researchers with industry figures and policymakers to debate the most pertinent R&I topics for the next 12 months. And with the government putting research and innovation at the heart of its Industrial Strategy, this event comes at a key time for our industry.
At our 2017 event, we heard how early research by UK institutions on trace elements helped the UK food waste AD industry to develop – without this research many food waste plants would not be able to operate today. At our next event, we want to highlight research into hydrolysis, as well as other critical operational factors. Keeping the bugs happy is essential to operating a successful AD plant and we look forward to hearing from a range of researchers who will consider this topic from different angles. So come and join us for what promises to be an exciting event at the University of Sheffield, which itself will have plenty of new research to share. Register your attendance at adbioresources.org/events
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ADBA Northern Ireland Conference Review
Conference highlights AD’s potential for the future of Northern Ireland
A
DBA’s first Northern Ireland Conference, held in Belfast on 5 October, highlighted the potential for the role of anaerobic digestion (AD) in Northern Ireland over the coming years, both in farming and in managing food waste. The event brought together industry, politicians, associations, and government departments to discuss how to improve the operation of the existing 43 plants in Northern Ireland, and how the AD industry can grow in the face of reduced government backing. Of particular interest were presentations from Belfast City Council, and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, on their roll-out of separate food waste collections in line with Northern Ireland policy. With less than half of Northern Irish authorities offering separate food waste collections, it was encouraging to see that with the right information campaigns the ‘food waste ban’, as it was called in Belfast, can be a success and drive food waste to AD.
Replenishing our soils
Another lively topic was the relationship between AD and ammonia emissions. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency outlined how ammonia emissions in Northern Ireland have grown in recent years, and that emissions from AD have been increasing. With the whole of Northern Ireland classed as a Nitrogen Vulnerable Zone, nitrogen, ammonia and also phosphorus need to be a real focus for the industry. However, with one delegate pointing out that, according to the UN our planet has only 58 harvests left before the soils are so depleted we cannot produce more food, the question of how nutrients can be transported back to the developing world where food is grown was debated. It was great to have a case study of a plant that is capturing nitrogen as part of the process.
Improving operational performance
Operational performance was also key on the agenda, with an expert panel talking about how performance has improved compared to early demonstration projects. Dr Les Gornall of Capita provided an excellent analogy between running an AD plant at maximum output – pushing the biology and plant operation at full throttle and constantly monitoring and reacting to changes – to driving a Formula One racing car. Clearly you can go faster but the risk of problems only increases and you need to be ready to respond. Linked to the theme of improving operational performance was the introduction of ADBA’s Best Practice Scheme. With the Scheme being launched in December, it was useful to gather views on how it could support the industry. Plant performance in Northern Ireland has so far been good, and it was great to see so much interest in the Scheme, with many operators wanting to join. With feedback indicating support for holding the same event next year, we look forward to seeing how the Northern Irish AD market develops over the coming 12 months and how ADBA can continue to help. 38
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Upcoming Events ADBA Finance Forum 22 nov 2017
7 dec 2017
(members only) Osborne Clarke offices, London
ADBA National Conference 2017 One Great George Street, London
28 feb 2018
Scottish National Conference Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow
ADBA R&I Forum 2018 11 apr 2018
11-12 jul 2018
University of Sheffield
UK AD and World Biogas Expo 2018 NEC, Birmingham
11 jul 2018
AD & Biogas Industry Awards 2018 The Vox, Birmingham
ADBA’s Finance Forum has met twice a year since 2010 to discuss the barriers and opportunities for funders of AD plants. Representatives from a range of different finance sectors will discuss recent developments; ADBA’s Strategic Adviser, Chris Huhne, and our policy team will reveal the latest updates relevant to the sector; and speakers and delegates will help to develop our business plan and shape our policy positions. adbioresources.org
With the new government now in place following June’s snap general election having promised to cut carbon emissions, this is an excellent time to discuss the multiple benefits that AD can offer the UK and the world. Now in its eighth year, our National Conference regularly includes leading speakers from the Houses of Commons and Lords, government departments, regulators and industry to inform delegates of the most pressing issues and challenges affecting the growth of AD. See p20 for details. adbioresources.org
The Scottish National Conference will come back for the second year, to give the entire Scottish AD community the chance to meet again and discuss the present issues and opportunities, such as land usage and food security, digestate commercialisation, small scale AD, implications of policy and regulatory changes, and more. See p40 for full details. adbioresources.org
This event brings together leading researchers with industry figures and policymakers to debate the sector’s key topics, including the role of research into hydrolysis and other operational factors that are so important to AD today. Keeping the bugs happy is essential to operating every AD plant and we will welcome a range of researchers to talk about this from different angles. See p37 for full details. adbioresources.org
UK AD and World Biogas Expo returns for its ninth year, bringing together the latest technology and services from across the globe, all under one roof. This free event includes a conference, exhibition and seminar sessions over two days and will examine the progress of our industry's contribution to the 2020 climate change deadline. Key themes include addressing the food waste crisis, biomethane in transport (plus vehicle display area), regulatory updates, farming, heat, and the Carbon Budget. This is the global meeting place for the industry and an event not to be missed. adbioresources.org/biogastradeshow
Our annual black-tie industry awards ceremony will once again celebrate AD innovation and achievement from the past 12 months and simultaneously raise the profile and highlight the benefits of AD, both in the UK and globally. Including a drinks reception, three-course dinner with wine and entertainment, this event is also an excellent networking opportunity. Enter now, see p42 for full details. adbioresources.org
To register your interest in attending any of the above events and find out how to sponsor and exhibit, please contact our Head of Events & Marketing, Gayle Brandon-Kirby. E gayle.brandonkirby@adbioresources.org T +44 (0)203 176 5440
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Membership Matters Uniting members from every corner of the industry
The new ADBA membership year began on 1 October. On behalf of the whole team I would like to thank every one of our members that has renewed – we all look forward to supporting you for another year. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our new members, listed in the box below.
We’ve had a busy September and October, with two exciting new events: the ADBA Biomethane and Gas Vehicle Conference in Leeds and the ADBA Northern Ireland Conference in Belfast. Both events offered a specialist view of the market and featured a fantastic line-up of speakers. I met many of our existing members at both locations and was also pleased to welcome on board
Our Membership Manager, Alex Monks, reports on the frontline issues affecting ADBA members. To invite Alex to visit your business or to find out how to make the most of your membership, contact: T +44 (0)203 176 5418 E alex.monks@adbioresources.org some new members. Whilst both the Northern Irish AD sector and the use of biomethane as a vehicle fuel face some challenges, having seen the expertise present at these events I am confident that any issues will be overcome. As you are all no doubt aware, our next big event is the ADBA National Conference, taking place in London on 7 December. This is a fantastic opportunity to catch up with the latest industry developments and network with colleagues from across the whole spectrum of the industry. I look forward to seeing many of you there, as well as hearing from our excellent panel of speakers. This will also be the first time we will be distributing the new 2017/18 ADBA Members’ Directory, so don’t forget to pick up your copy. Finally, as we move into winter I will be continuing to visit our members’ businesses up and down the country. Do let me know if you would like to discuss member engagement or if you have anything new you would like us to see.
Welcome new ADBA members! Bigadan UK BioSci Ltd EcoDev Group Simon Cordery Solcap Energy
Oncoland Limited
Join Scotland’s thriving AD community Following a very successful launch this year, the ADBA Scottish National Conference is returning to Glasgow on 28 February 2018, bringing together the entire Scottish AD community to discuss pressing issues, growing opportunities and policy changes that specifically affect the Scottish AD industry.
Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, will give a keynote presentation on the Scottish Government’s proposed new climate bill. The conference will also welcome some of the most respected AD professionals from Scotland and the rest of the UK to share their expertise and experiences. To register your attendance, go to adbioresources.org/events
Topics at a glance: Sponsored by
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•H ow to make small scale AD work (in distilleries, farms and restaurants) •D igestate use and commercialisation •W hat is the best use for biogas in Scotland (district heating, transport, or grid injection)? • F ood security and land use • T he Scottish Government’s proposed new climate bill • Food waste • Electricity • B rexit and investments
“The ADBA Scottish National Conference introduced me to many new people actively involved in the Industrial Biotechnology landscape of Scotland. As a networking event and for learning the issues and achievements of the AD sector it was excellent.”
“An excellent way of learning about the latest technological concepts and new thinking for the sector.”
Roger Kilburn, CEO, IBioIC
Maurice Golden MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary, Environment
AD & Bioresources News | winter 2017
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Membership Matters
Safety First The importance of electrical maintenance By Peter Whitehouse, Managing Director of Cosgriff Whitehouse Electrical The electrical installation and associated control systems are the nerve centre of an AD plant. Without these functioning in a healthy state the revenue stream is badly affected or stops altogether. Electrical certification is paramount for the initial installation and is of even greater importance throughout the design life of the plant. With this in mind, it is essential that all AD plant installations carried out in the UK meet and comply with British Standards for electrical installations (BS7671:2008+A3:2015), and that certification is provided on completion of the installation as evidence. This will ensure that if anything goes wrong, your plant is covered and your insurances are valid. Without this, your plant will not be covered. It is essential for safety and insurance reasons that AD plants remain in serviceable condition. Electrical installations can degrade over time: isolators and junction boxes can sustain damage, cables can deteriorate and infrastructure/connections can decline. Degradation is even more apparent in installations where adverse elements are involved; these can include corrosive chemicals, construction waste, high usage or poor maintenance on the part of the owners or operators. It is therefore recommended that an electrical installation condition report (EICR) is carried out annually, or within a timeframe recommended by
your insurers, to ensure that the electrical installation is still compliant and serviceable. An EICR is a report, not just a certificate. The results, measurements and values taken during an EICR are clearly recorded and appropriate recommendations made that any damage, deterioration or defects observed that may give rise to danger should be remedied, so that the installation may continue to be used safely. Well-maintained AD plants will enjoy better biogas production and a solid revenue stream – do not put your plant and investment at risk. Cosgriff Whitehouse Electrical is an electrical contractor, specialising in AD installations. The company has completed the installation of 28 AD plants plus upgrades, and regularly maintains them to keep them up to industry standards. www.coswhielec.co.uk
Regulatory Forum: discussion and debate in Leeds On 10 October, our Environment and Regulation Manager, Jess Allan, and Membership Manager, Alex Monks, headed up to Leeds to hold our autumn ADBA Regulatory Forum event. We were pleased to see in attendance a range of delegates, including operators, consultants, developers and insurance experts. The day proved informative, with engaging speakers and insightful discussion among the attendees. The event included an important update by the Environment Agency on its review of charges, which is likely to propose increased permitting fees for operators. We also heard from Dr David Tompkins (Aqua Enviro), Dr Stephen Wise (Wood PLC), Jo Matthew (Stopford Energy and Environment), Tony Farthing (Environment Agency) and Alison Ogley (Walker Morris). The day ended with an update on ADBA’s Best Practice Scheme, delivered by Jess with Carl Gurney (Jelf Insurance Brokers) and Nick Johnn (Aardvark Certification Ltd) – see p7 for more details.
We would like to thank Walker Morris for hosting this event, as well as all the speakers and attendees who participated. The next ADBA Regulatory Forum is scheduled for spring 2018.
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Membership Matters TEAM Chief Executive, Charlotte Morton T +44 (0)203 176 0503 E charlotte.morton@adbioresources.org PA to Chief Executive/Database Assistant, Priya Gathani T +44 (0)203 567 1041 E priya.gathani@adbioresources.org Strategic Adviser, Chris Huhne E chris.huhne@adbioresources.org Head of Policy, Ollie More T +44 (0)203 567 0751 E ollie.more@adbioresources.org Policy Manager, Dr Thom Koller T +44 (0)203 176 0592 E thom.koller@adbioresources.org Environment and Regulation Manager, Jess Allan T +44 (0)203 735 8380 E jessica.allan@adbioresources.org
Raise your company’s profile at the AD event of the year We are already getting excited about next year’s AD & Biogas Industry Awards, scheduled for 11 July 2018, the first night of the UK AD and World Biogas Expo. We will be back at the Vox Conference Centre for another stellar evening of celebration and networking, bringing together over 250 industry, government and press representatives to recognise the best our industry has to offer. A black-tie drinks reception and gala dinner will precede the awards ceremony, presented by a renowned host and featuring first class entertainment from a live comedian.
Market Analyst, Emiliano Lewis T +44 (0)203 567 0751 E emiliano.lewis@adbioresources.org External Affairs Manager, Jon Harrison T +44 (0)203 176 0591 E jon.harrison@adbioresources.org PR & Parliamentary Affairs Executive, Chris Noyce T +44 (0)203 176 5441 E chris.noyce@adbioresources.org Sales Manager, Roberta Bontempo T +44 (0)203 176 4414 E roberta.bontempo@adbioresources.org Sales Executive, Max Garryev T +44 (0)203 176 5416 E max.garryev@adbioresources.org Membership Manager, Alex Monks T +44 (0)203 176 5418 E alex.monks@adbioresources.org Head of Events & Marketing, Gayle Brandon-Kirby T +44 (0)203 176 5440 E gayle.brandonkirby@adbioresources.org Event Producer, Desiree De Cecchis T +44 (0)203 176 4415 E desiree.dececchis@adbioresources.org Events Admin & Production Assistant, Cheryl Murdoch T +44 (0)203 735 8118 E cheryl.murdoch@adbioresources.org Marketing Manager, Jinna Sidhu T +44 (0)203 735 8117 E jinna.sidhu@adbioresources.org Accountant, Amy Pritchard T +44 (0)203 176 6962 E amy.pritchard@adbioresources.org Accounts Assistant, Anthony Olasoji T +44 (0)203 176 0503 E anthony.olasoji@adbioresources.org
Now open for entries, sponsorship and tickets Register your interest and be part of this fantastic event. Enter your company for an award to receive well-deserved recognition for your team or project; take up sponsorship and branding opportunities to get your company’s name in front of the largest gathering of AD professionals; and buy tickets now to receive our special early bird rate. Go to adbioresources.org/events
AD Finance, Bruce Nelson, Director of Compass Renewables T +44 (0)1732 464495 E bruce@compassbusinessfinance.co.uk Jelf Insurance Team T +44 (0)1905 892356 E adba@jelfgroup.com AD & Bioresources News Managing Editor, Kirsty Sharpe T +44 (0)1920 821873 E kirsty.sharpe@adbioresources.org AD & Bioresources News Editor, Kate O’Reilly T +44 (0)7894 039609 E kate.oreilly@adbioresources.org
Welcome Roberta “Receiving this award is fantastic recognition for all the hard work our team has put in over the past year. We are proud to be helping grow the circular economy in London.” James McMillan, Bio Collectors Winner 2017, Making the most of digestate
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Roberta Bontempo, Sales Manager “I am really excited to be part of such a dynamic and committed association as ADBA. Having spent the past 15 years commercially growing and developing publications, conferences and events across a number of industries, I very much look forward to working closely with ADBA members. I would love to hear from you and discuss how our events and publications can work even better for you.”
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