Watch this blog for Anaerobic Digestion News and information. This blog is unique. It is independent and carries News from all AD sources. We are not allied to any particular manufacturer or product, so you will see all the Anaerobic Digestion News here first.
Small-Scale UK Renewable Energy CfD Scheme Called for.
On the day that the UK didn’t leave Europe, trade association ADBA called for Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme for Small-scale Renewable Energy including biogas.
ADBA also calls for AD not to be excluded from future CfD auctions.
The trade body for the UK’s anaerobic digestion industry calls on the government to introduce a bespoke low-carbon Contracts for Difference scheme to support small-scale renewable technologies.
ADBA did this on 29 March 2019, the day the Feed-In Tariff subsidy was ended by the UK government.
AD plants generate renewable electricity, heat, and natural fertilizer by treating organic wastes and energy crops. They also offer a range of other benefits including greenhouse gas mitigation from avoided waste emissions, income diversification for farmers, and energy and fertilizer supply security.
The UK’s AD industry currently has the capacity to power 1.2 million households, offering flexible, baseload power, but has the potential to generate far more, with the right support.
“Beyond this levelling of the playing field with the big generators, they are calling on the government to develop a bespoke, small-scale, low-carbon CfD auction mechanism to encourage competition in the small-scale sector and recognize the additionality that AD can provide in the form of greenhouse gas mitigation, agricultural diversification, and energy and food security.
IPPTS Associates Releases Free Biogas Report on the UK Anaerobic Digestion Market 2017, - likely developments and opportunities
Hey! Thanks for reading this article. I promise it’ll be worth the few minutes.
Steve Last here. I’m the founder of IPPTS Associates, and an experienced environmental consultant currently completing a number of projects in the UK anaerobic digestion industry.
I’ve been in business for 10 years now, and I’ve stumbled upon some powerful indications of the way the UK AD industry will produce great business opportunities in 2017.
But first…
I’ve got some great news I’d like to share with you.
I've just published my book entitled IPPTS Associates Biogas Report titled: UK Anaerobic Digestion Market 2017.
In my report, I reveal everything about making the agonising decision of, do I commit many hours and multiple thousands of pounds on a new Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Plant facility when the UK government's subsidy levels are falling?.
Readers have already started calling my ebook report a very useful "pointer toward what might happen during 2017".
See, I’ve worked tirelessly over the past 10 years to find ways to help others appreciate the value of the anaerobic digestion process to their farm businesses.
After some grueling, "trial and error" experiences over the years, I’ve managed to mold all of this useful information into something that can be shared with the world.
In the past, there was only a small number of people who had access to the secrets of the type given in this book.
And, it was usually the people who were already aware of the many benefits of anaerobic digestion to UK businesses.
But now, I’ve long thought that this is something that needs to be passed on. And I want you to have all of my secrets and strategies!
Now, you might be wondering if this is the right selection for you.
Well, let me ask you a few questions…
Are you a dairy farmer always losing money due to poor milk prices?
Are you an arable farmer always losing money due to poor agricultural crop sales in poor growing seasons, or finding the prices for a good crop fall due to over production in the good years?
Are you tired of having an over-reliance on highly variable agricultural incomes from year to year, and a lack of the resilience seen in other businesses which gain income from a variety of sources.
Maybe you just can’t seem to figure out whether anaerobic digestion will remain a profitable option after UK government subsidies drop further, as they have been announced to do in April this year?
Do any of the above sound like you?
If you answered yes to at least one, then you’ll want to pay very close attention.
Why?
Because the secrets in this book will show you how to weigh up the opportunity to invest in anaerobic digestion in 2017, like never before.
Now that you have a better idea about whether or not this book is for you… I’d like you to imagine the future.
Consider these 4 things:
What if you never had to worry about losing money due to low milk prices
What if you never had to worry about losing money due to poor agricultural crop sales in poor growing seasons, or finding the prices for a good crop fall due to over-production in the good years?
What if you could never suffer from an over-reliance on highly variable agricultural incomes from year to year and a lack of the resilience seen in other businesses which gain income from a variety of sources. available at any time?
What if you could generate your own power, and use it in your business, anytime you want?
What if you could produce your own fertiliser and actually charge people to take their organic waste to make that fertiliser?
Well, that's exactly what anaerobic digestion is doing for thousands of farmer around the world already.
If you download this ebook and apply all that you see in it, I guarantee a new awareness which if grabbed and acted upon everything mentioned above can happen for you.
I say this because I designed this book in such a way that anyone, regardless of their skill level, can easily understand its contents and immediately apply them.
If this is something that interests you, here’s what you need to do next.
First, this is optional but highly recommended, fill out the newsletter subscription form above right to be sent notification of future ebooks and articles.
The reason you need to fill out this form is becauseI will be creating more articles, and offering more ebooks for download, which I am sure you will not want to miss out on.
And I need to know where to send them.
Finally, the last thing you have to do is click the link below to get started.
All my experience, ideas, and predictions for 2017 are wrapped up inside each and every page.
I know that if you take note of everything I show you...you can get further in reaching whatever AD plant development goal for you set for yourself...and...your business.
So what are you waiting for?
Go ahead and click the button on this page to download today!
The continued high level of activity of UK anaerobic digestion sector was open to doubt before the nation voted to leave the EU during a referendum in June 2016. Now, 3 months on the picture looks no clearer.
UK Anaerobic Digestion – Leaving You Short Of Breath
The UK’s biogas sector faces an uncertain future following the latest report from The National Non-Food Crops Centre.
Past and current growth rates in the sector look set to plateau around late 2017. This will inevitably bring with it increased investor uncertainty and reduced backing from government groups.
Statistics show over 450 sites are in the development phase at the moment, with predictions indicating that just over 50% of these will be successfully built and become fully operational.
There is of course still potential for sites to go ahead and be built albeit behind schedule, but planning for new sites has taken a dramatic hit with around 50% fewer sites making it past the planning stage in the last year.
Growth is the problem
Rather ironically, the substantial growth in the sector is what is creating its demise, as investors were speedily getting multiple plants through the planning stage in order to gain incentives such as the Feed-in-tariff (FIT’s) and Renewable heat incentives (RHI).
As a result, the quarterly caps set on these schemes are being hit significantly ahead of schedule, therefore triggering cuts in the prospective quarters as the government looks to decrease its investment in the sector.
Whilst ongoing research is conducted and final papers are due on the FIT’s rates moving forward, it seems that it may be too little too late for this sector in the EU. via Anaerobic Digestion – Leaving You Short Of Breath
ADBA reacts to EU referendum | News | ADBA
Commenting on the UK's decision to leave the European Union, ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton said:
“The policy framework for anaerobic digestion has been closely linked to European directives, and the industry will need to work hard to ensure that we maintain and build our place in Britain’s future." “The UK’s fundamental need for secure energy, waste treatment, clean water and a strong British farming sector continue. The AD sector needs to make its voice heard, and to work closely with the government to build new structures in all the areas that affect us.”
And yet clearly some UK anaerobic digestion projects which have recently been brought on-stream are providing a high degree of success, and an example of one such project follows:
Biogas - Saria runs one of its sites completely off-grid using anaerobic digestion
The firm’s state-of-the-art ReFood anaerobic digestion plant recycles more than 160,000 tonnes of food waste per year, generating 5 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity via combined heat and power (CHP), alongside hot water and heat. A percentage of the energy is being used to power other businesses at the Doncaster Ings Road site, as part of a group-wide sustainability initiative.
The Doncaster site, which consists of businesses operating right across the food chain by-products industry, also produces a sustainable biofertiliser as a by-product of the process. This is being used by local farmers to support crop growth.
“With a group-wide commitment to energy efficiency, realising our goal of achieving off-grid status is a noteworthy achievement – demonstrating true commitment to meeting food sector sustainability targets” said Philip Simpson, commercial director at Saria Ltd. “Through continued investment and our pioneering AD process, we are now able to not only provide homes and businesses across the region with access to a complexly sustainable energy source, but also minimise our own reliance on fossil fuels.”
Saria prioritises sustainability across its business operations, with a highly environmentally-friendly vehicle fleet and sustainable building methods that are utilised in every new site development and expansion project undertaken. Each of the company’s UK facilities feature state-of-the-art energy saving measures to minimise environmental impact. via Saria runs one of its sites completely off-grid using anaerobic digestion
It is to be hoped that the vision of companies like Saria, which competes for shareholder funding with other businesses, will continue and be adopted with equal enthusiasm elsewhere.
Nowadays, retaining a high long-time share price ahead of rivals, is seen as essential by many ambitious companies. Let us hope that the desire for sustainability as a route toward gaining that shareholder credibility, will continue. It certainly can be a significant incentive toward further anaerobic digestion plant investment. It is to be hoped that this will prove to be a significant factor in encouraging UK Anaerobic Digestion Plant investment going forward.
This week there are many players in the UK anaerobic digestion industry who have been blogging and sending out news releases complaining about the UK government's continuing reductions in the taxpayer subsidised UK Feed-in Tarrif (FiT). This is an additional payment which approved AD Plant operators are guaranteed to be paid, in addition to the normal payment per kWh, for their renewable biogas energy generated electricity.
It really is not news that the biogas plant capacity which will be granted at a preferential FiT, is being progressively reduced. So, the only aspect of that might be seen as "news" is the way in which the FiT is being reduced, through technical aspects of the way it is being handed out.
FiT allocations are being dribbled out in batches every 3 months by the government department responsible (DECC), and each time they open the doors for new project submissions, the budgeted FiT allowances are being taken up in a matter of minutes.
Is it any wonder that a government desperate to save on public spending, will seize on that indication, to assume that the industry is healthy? With so many backers of the anaerobic digestion process clamouring to develop projects and apply for FiT payments, the Politicians must be assuming that the UK AD industry can hardly fail?
UK Anaerobic Digestion Plant Promoters Should Stop Complaining!
The view from this blogger is that there are many other ways to sell the biogas energy produced by biogas plants. Producing electricity is only one way to monetize biogas energy!
It is accepted that other methods may often, but not always, require additional investment in cleaning up the raw biogas, before these alternative markets can be supplied, but these new products can command higher payment. They also waste less of the energy, and can therefore be more environmentally sustainable.
The best alternative for many is biogas upgrading which can be done to a variety of quality specifications, with the most stringent being for injection into the natural gas supply grid.
Upgrading technology to do this has improved hugely in the last few years, and the market for renewable compressed natural gas (CNG) is one that is insatiable. At least cannot be over-supplied within current forecasts for biogas feed-stock availability, so why complain? simply accept reality, and like most of the rest of the world, get on and live with it!
The following is a round up of a sample of the complaining articles I refer to. Come on AD'ers. Stop moaning and live with it!
New Feed-in-Tariffs Hampering Anaerobic Digestion Development in UK
Charlotte Morton, ADBA’s chief executive, commented:
“The FIT deployment cap of 20MW per year for AD is already constraining much needed baseload capacity, failing to recognise our industry’s ambition. Not rolling over unused capacity from one tariff period to the next is salt in the wound and a shocking waste of MWs worth of renewable electricity which DECC has already accounted for.
10% FIT Capacity For Anaerobic Digestion “Wasted”CIWM Journal Online
The new FIT scheme has quarterly “caps” on maximum deployment for each technology, which are set at 5MW for AD. An application for a plant that breaches the cap is counted towards the next quarter – but any capacity unused is simply lost.
This is despite the government’s consultation response saying that “any unused capacity for a particular technology and degression band from one quarter simply gets added on to the next quarter.” Via 10% FIT Capacity For Anaerobic Digestion “Wasted”
The industry needs to stand-back from all this, and realise that it the UK Referendum on 23 June, results in the UK leaving the EU, the power of Prime Minister Cameron will be greatly diminished and in that case the Department of Environment and Climate Change will probably be very quickly closed down.
The UK Treasury clearly would like to close DECC, and Cameron is surrounded by politicians who are openly antagonistic to subsidising energy (with some holding no sympathy at all with those that seek to limit climate change), so what chance would this department then hold of even being around to hand out any FiTs at all?
It would be much better for the UK AD Industry to accept reality and concentrate on produce other alternative biogas energy products and market their renewable energy into those markets. Electricity production is after all, a wasteful use of this valuable energy, and with transmission losses etc., only about 30% to 50% will ever reach the consumer.
Baseline electricity supply 24/7 is important, but can be supplied by a myriad of small peak load shedding diesel generators located at the premises of the main power users. The UK government is subsidising those installations. It will potentially be able to extend those programmes much more cheaply than adding nuclear power stations.
So, stop whingeing UK anaerobic digestion project promoters! Get on with taking the next leap into CNG / biomethane production now!
