UK Government Encourages Itself to Produce Renewable Energy in EA News Item

The Public sector has been urged to generate renewable energy to cut costs and emissions.

The Environment Agency and Partnerships for Renewables today urged public sector organisations in the UK to consider using their land and property to generate renewable energy, which has the potential to provide power for over 1.5 million households.

Councils and agencies could provide power for over 1.5 million households

The Environment Agency and Partnerships for Renewables today urged public sector organisations in the UK to consider using their land and property to generate renewable energy, which has the potential to provide power for over 1.5 million households.

In the midst of the recent focus on economic and political crises, the two organisations are using World Environment Day (5 June) to encourage the public sector to tackle the impending crisis of climate change and set an example to others by taking positive action.

The organisations have calculated that public sector organisations in the UK could generate up to some 3 gigawatts of power - enough to power all the households in Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool and Doncaster combined and save 3m tonnes of carbon dioxide per year - by installing renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and hydropower schemes on their land.

Public sector bodies own more than 10 per cent of the land in the UK including tens of thousands of buildings and over one million hectares of land. Despite this, only a tiny fraction of the total amount of green energy which the UK is capable of producing comes from renewable energy projects on public sector property.

Although many public sector bodies are already beginning to investigate how they can utilise their land to generate renewable energy, the Environment Agency and Partnerships for Renewables are calling for more organisations to install clean energy technologies to help reduce carbon emissions in addition to generating revenue from the sale of electricity and saving the taxpayer money.

Last year the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, and environmental groups highlighted the need for public sector bodies to take a lead role in the fight against climate change and promote green energy.

The Environment Agency is urging other public sector bodies to follow its example after its announcement in November 2008 to build up to 80 wind turbines on Environment Agency owned land across the country, developing around 200 megawatts of renewable energy capacity - enough to power 90,000 households and save around 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. In addition the turbines will generate up to £2.4 million of revenue every year - money that will be ploughed back into protecting and improving the environment, and adapting to climate change. Other organisations such as British Waterways have also announced similar plans.

The Environment Agency recently ranked as the top green UK public sector organisation in the annual Sunday Times Green List. 99 per cent of electricity used by the Environment Agency is from renewable sources and stringent targets are in place for reducing energy and water. Recycling facilities are available in the offices covering 20 different types of waste. The organisation’s green travel policies have led to a mileage reduction of some 8.9 million miles over the past two years alone and in three years, the Environment Agency has managed to reduce its overall carbon footprint by 14 per cent and water use by ten per cent.

Environment Agency Head of Climate Change and Sustainable Development Tony Grayling said:

"Investment in green technology such as wind turbines not only help cut carbon emissions and secure more home grown energy - they also make financial sense to those involved and ultimately save the taxpayer money.

"The pressures businesses and the public sector are facing may tempt them to cut corners and spend less attention on environmental improvement programmes, but it is now more important than ever before that we look to alternative sources of energy to meet our demands."

Stephen Ainger, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Renewables which was established by the Carbon Trust in 2006, said:

"By embracing and fulfilling its renewable energy potential the UK’s public sector has the opportunity to not only demonstrate strong leadership domestically, in the fight against climate change, it has the opportunity to set the standard for public sector organisations to follow globally. The role of the public sector organisations leading this movement, such as the Environment Agency and British Waterways, should not be underestimated".

Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"The public sector has a key role to play in cutting emissions by harnessing the UK’s vast renewable energy potential. Developing green energy could create tens of thousands of new jobs, reduce our dependency of the tyranny of fossil fuels and give this country real influence in the global battle against climate change".

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The vehicle for achieving this investment is Partnerships for Renewables which was set up by Carbon Trust Enterprises in 2006 to work in partnership with the public sector to develop, construct and operate renewable energy projects. By providing a one stop shop for the development of renewable energy projects focused on a project development process tailored to the specific needs of the public sector, Partnerships for Renewables provide a way for Public Sector Bodies to access the economic and environmental benefits associated with renewable energy and contribute towards the fight against climate change without diverting public sector resources away from frontline services.

Scottish Waste and Resources Conference 2009

Sponsored by WRAP and VALPAK

The Scottish Waste and Resources Conference will host the annual 2 day conference, exhibition and awards dinner on 6th and 7th October 2009.

As the title suggests, the partnership event is not exclusive to those working in the waste management industry. At this crucial time in our future development we must engage with the wider resources management sectors.

The conference programme for 2009 features the overall theme of Delivering Zero Waste in Scotland which will provide a pick and mix choice of sessions on key policy updates, new innovations and hearty debate amongst practical participative sessions.

Alongside the conference there is an indoor exhibition which will allow you to meet and discuss your requirements with waste/reprocessing companies and suppliers, providing the ideal networking opportunity.

The Scottish Waste & Resources Awards Dinner, sponsored by Ascot Environmental Ltd and Scotgen (Dumfries) Ltd, will take place on the last evening of the event, 7th October. The purpose of the Scottish Waste and Resources Awards is to acknowledge, reward and celebrate those organisations that have shown an outstanding contribution, through best practice and innovation, to the Scottish waste, recycling and resource management sectors. The 2008 dinner was attended by over 400 people including leading figures from local authorities, private sector organisations, professional bodies and regulators from across Scotland. Nominations for the awards are now open and application forms can be completed online at www.scotwaste.org.

Whether you have been before or not, the Scottish Waste & Resources Conference 2009 promises to be an event not to be missed and a one-stop shop for you, your organisation and your colleagues and one that will keep you ahead of the critical factors influencing our industry.

For priority information on the conference programme or more details on sponsorship opportunities, exhibition of the awards dinner then please contact the Operations Team on (01604) 620426 or email events@ciwm.co.uk .

BioPower Generation Conference USA, Chicago, 8 - 9 July 2009

In a report published by Biomass Magazine it states that the U.S. Interior Department plans to invest $15 million in 55 biomass projects in 12 states. It goes on to say that “the projects have the potential to provide additional economic benefits to support local or regional employment through post-treatment use of biomass in wood products or power generation.”

Leading utilities, project developers, policy makers and investors plan to meet in Chicago on the 8 – 9 July for the 5th BioPower Generation Conference. Experts already confirmed include:

- Reed Wills, President, ADAGE

- Gary Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Green Hunter

- Leonard Fagan, Vice President, Engineering and Technology, American Renewables

- Andrew Singer, Senior Vice President, Constellation New Energy

- Ron Flax-Davidson, Vice President Business Development, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp

- Todd Alexander, Partner, Chadbourne & Parke

- Art Holland, Vice President, Utility and Risk Services, Pace

- William Johnson, Manager Biofuels Development, Alliant Energy

Click here to download the event brochure.

Ensure you quote BPGEM4 when booking.

Attendees will gain valuable insight into the biomass power generation opportunities in the U.S. and will hear best practice case studies from 10 project developers and utilities. Your questions will be answered at BioPower Generation USA including:

- What do recent policy developments mean for the biopower industry?

- What is the key potential for large scale biomass power production?

- What are the key criteria in developing a biopower portfolio?

- How can producers access financing in the current economic climate?

- What are the latest technologies to improve biopower efficiency?

- How can sustainable feedstock supplies be sourced?

- What are the latest developments in high yield energy crops?

- What criteria are necessary for efficient transmission & distribution?

- How can agricultural, forestry and paper sectors benefit?


Previous attendees include:

Alstom Power, Babcock & Brown, Biopower International, Bioverda Iberia, BP Alternative Energy, Camco Chemical, Carbon Trust, Ceres, CEZ, Chevron Technology Ventures, Contango Markets, Danish Energy Agency, Desmet Engineers & Contractors, Dong Energy, Drax Power, EBICo, EC Bioenergie, Ecofys, Econcern, Ecosecurities, EDF, Electrabel, Enel, EniPower, EnviTech Biogas, Eon Benelux, EOn UK, Essent Energy Trading, Fortum, GE Energy Financial Services, Harbert Power, Kfw Entwicklungsbank, KMW Energi, Mott MacDonald, MW Power, Nidera, Nord/LB, Norsk Vesk, Shell Global Solutions, RWE, UK Trade & Investment, Vattenfall, Veolia, Wärtsilä

New Web Site from Xergi Biogas Provides Insight Into AD Life Cycle Assessments

Xergi - The Biogas Plant Contractor, contacted me recently to announce their new web site. I like the site a great deal, and in particular I recommend their downloadable Life Cycle Assessment report which looks at the relative whole life environmental benefits of different Anaerobic Digestion feed stocks.

The report is titled:

Life Cycle Assessment of Biogas from Maize silage and from Manure - for transport and for heat and power production under displacement of natural gas based heat works and marginal electricity in northern Germany

Please note that the Life Cycle Assessment is being reviewed. The final Assessment will be issued after completion of review, we are told.

However, the report is published in its 2nd draft, dated June 21st 2007. The authors are Kathrine Anker Thyø and Henrik Wenzel of the German Institute for Product Development.

An extract from the summary follows, but there are a lot of data and other information in this free report, making it worth a visit to their web site at the link below, for anyone seeking to decide which are the greenest options for AD plant projects.

Biogas based on manure is not an alternative strongly correlated to the other bioenergy scenarios, because it does not include any utilization of agricultural land. However, since it provides the same services to society as the other scenarios, it still compares to them and should b included in the overall prioritisation of which type of bioenergy technology society should promote with subsidies and other incentives.

The conclusion of this comparison is unambiguous: biogas from manure implies by far the highest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of services provided to society. This being due to the fact that it implies CO2 reductions not only from the fossil fuel replacement by the generated biogas, but equally significantly from the reduce methane emissions from manure storage, reduced nitrous oxide emissions from soil application of the manure and improved plant availability of the nitrogen in the manure.

The brief and overall conclusions on manure based biogas can, thus, be expressed as:

- Biogas from manure stands out as having much higher reduction in greenhouse gas emissions than the other bioenergy types and equal savings in fossil fuels. As cost aspects point to the same direction, manure based biogas should have the highest priority of all the compared bioenergy types.

The other scenarios are strongly correlated by their competition for the same agricultural land. Based on the comparative approach, the LCA shows that environmentally and in terms of fossil fuel savings, energy crops should be prioritised for heat and power purposes either 1) through a preceding biogas generation or 2) by direct incineration or gasification, these pathways leading to almost equal CO2 reductions and fossil fuel savings. Energy crops converted directly into a transport fuel implies significantly lower CO2 reductions due to the energy losses in the conversion processes.

The brief and overall conclusions on maize based biogas can, thus, be expressed as:

Among the compared types of bioenergy requiring agricultural land and energy crops, biogas from maize silage and heat and power from willow imply the highest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the highest fossil fuel savings, environmentally and in terms of fossil fuel savings.

More here at the xergi.com web site..

Swedish Co. Helps S Korea Convert Food Waste Into Biogas

By KELLY OLSEN

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean city of Ulsan lets water generated from processing food waste run off into the ocean, which can generate methane gas harmful to the environment.

Now, with the help of a Swedish company, it is going to start converting that waste water into biogas, a type of clean fuel that can be used as power to heat buildings and even power vehicles.

South Korea is looking for ways to increase the use of biogas and other clean energy alternatives amid a push by the government of President Lee Myung-bak to embark on a new development model that emphasizes so-called green growth.

Ulsan, a brawny industrial center of about 1 million people on the country's southeastern coast, saw biogas as an attractive way to deal with a burgeoning waste problem as well as coming tighter government regulations.

"Ulsan is running out of waste disposal sites to cover all the garbage that comes out from the city," municipal official Park In-muk said Thursday. "When garbage is processed into compost, it creates waste water," he said, which the city has been letting it flow into the ocean.

The dumping of waste water generated by the processing of leftover food into the sea, however, will be banned from 2013, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime affairs.

The Ministry of Environment, meanwhile, has increased its budget this year for waste energy, including biogas plants, by five times to 178 billion won ($143 million), according to ministry official Choi Byung-chul.

The government's impending ban on the practice spurred Ulsan, home to big corporations Hyundai Motor Corp. and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., helped push Ulsan to look for alternatives. It found a partner in Scandinavian Biogas Fuels AB.

The company is based in Sweden, which has been a pioneer in biogas development.

Scandinavian Biogas is investing about 10 million euros to upgrade a wastewater treatment plant in Ulsan and will soon start accepting food and other waste for processing into biogas, said Scandinavian Biogas President and CEO Thomas Davidsson.

"Producing biogas is a very effective way of taking care of the waste" as it can be used for heat, electricity and vehicle fuel, Davidsson said in an interview Wednesday. He was in Seoul to participate in the Seoul Climate Change Expo held in conjunction with the third C40 Large Cities Climate Summit.

Turning food waste into biogas can also contribute to efforts to stop global warming.

Read the rest of this article at The Associated Press.

UK Specification for Compost BSI PAS 100

Bsi Pas 100 Consultation 2009

The nationally recognised UK specification for compost, BSI PAS 100, is being reviewed to ensure that its contents - from product preparation to monitoring and traceability - are fully up-to-date and reflect recent changes in the fast-moving recycling industry.

For anyone that has not heard of the BSI Pas 100 specification let me just explain that the idea behind it (and it is a very successful one too) is that by providing a very high quality standard the market will be strengthened and sellers and users will gain confidence in waste industry compost products.

The idea has been working very well in my view. I believe that AD Composts are being included now for the first time.

If you have views on how this specification should be developed this is a chance to get involved in the development of this standard.

All comments must be in with WRAP before the close of consultation on 30th June 2009.

http://www.wrap.org.uk/composting/bsi_pas_100.html (Wrap consultation)

Anaerobic Digestion Can Be Best Overall Including Being Cheapest Overall

I guess that if you are a long term subscriber this headline will not be a surprise, but it is good to report that others think so too! Read on and find out why.

Processing food waste using anaerobic digestion technology is not necessarily as expensive in relative terms as some councils may think, consultancy Eunomia has claimed.

Speaking at the AD In the City event held in the UK by BiogenGreenfinch last month, senior consultant, Dr Adrian Gibbs, said that using AD to process food waste collected separately could work out cheaper than processing commingled food and green waste together in an in vessel composting plant.

Dr Gibbs explained that a report by Eunomia had found that sending food waste to AD and green waste to windrow composting cost UK councils £9.50 in gate fees per household per year, whereas sending commingled green and food waste to IVC cost £10.80 per household. He also said that just collecting food waste alone and sending it to AD cost £5.50 per household over the same period.

Dr Gibbs admitted that average gate fees for AD facilities - around £55 per tonne - were higher than IVC - which, he quoted as £45 per tonne, but said that "overall AD is cheaper". He also claimed that separate food waste collections also worked out cheaper than mixed collections and said that the number of local authorities which were implementing separate collections had risen from 11 in 2007 to 54 in 2008.

He told the London borough council officers who attended the event, which was set up to explore ways to introduce more AD capacity in London, that - "AD is better than IVC, it's the way to go and it is the one I would watch."

Anaerobic digestion treats food waste in an oxygen-free environment and produces biogas - which can be converted into energy - and a nutrient rich digestate which can be used on farmland. It also has the potential to provide combined heat and power (CHP).

IVC treats green and/or food waste and sometimes card in an enclosed but oxygenated and aerated environment and produces compost. It does not generate energy.

A number of strengths and weaknesses were highlighted for both separate and mixed collection. The plus side to mixed collections included - only needing to use one vehicle, only one bin required and quick and cheap collections.

However, Dr Gibbs explained that the seasons significantly affected what was collected, with garden waste levels dropping significantly in the winter, meaning that feedstock was inconsistent. He also said that the waste had to be processed in an enclosed environment due to Animal By-Product Regulations and this ups the cost of green waste.

Dr Gibbs also pointed out that green waste and food wastes required different collection frequencies. In addition, not all homes have gardens and collecting green and food waste together prevented councils charging for green waste collection. He claimed that separate AD collection reduced net costs for councils and allowed local authorities to charge for garden waste. He added that there is a large quantity of food waste which could potentially be picked up.

Dr Gibbs said AD had a number of strengths, including -

* Internationally proven technology
* Anaerobic Digestion has strong government support in the form of ROCs, a Task Group and feed-in tariffs
* It is a carbon positive technology
* Valuable outputs - biogas and digestate - and
* Leaves green waste to go through the cheaper windrow process.

He said Anaerobic Digestion's only weakness was the lack of facilities in the UK, adding - "AD wins hands-down for organic waste."

US Environmental Power and Xergi Collaboration Extended

Environmental Power, the US a developer which is an owner and operator of clean energy production facilities, which currently through their facilities generates significant quantities of tradeable carbon offset credits, has announced a new deal with Swedish renewables/ anaerobic digestion company Xergi.

The company is dedicated to producing energy that is clean, reliable and secure. Energy that uses waste materials instead of precious resources. Energy that is cost-effective, and available today. Energy that transcends conventional notions of what is possible, and that is for example - anaerobic digestion and biogas.

In their press release they tell us:

Environmental Power Announces Investment by Technology Provider Xergi A/S and New Cooperation Agreement

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., April 28, 2009 – Environmental Power Corporation, a leader in the renewable bioenergy industry, today announced that Xergi A/S of Denmark has entered into a new technology and financial agreement with them better reflecting EPG’s build / own / operate business model.

Under the terms of the new agreement, EPG and its wholly owned subsidiary, Microgy, Inc., will continue to have exclusive licensing rights for Xergi’s anaerobic digester technology in North America, while reducing the license fees on Microgy’s current and future projects. In addition, EPG and Xergi will continue to collaborate on development and use of other technologies and techniques such as the use of micro-organisms and enzymes, which enhance the production of biogas from manure and other organic substrates.

“This investment and agreement demonstrate Xergi’s continued confidence in Environmental Power’s business model and its commitment to support the company’s growth in the renewable energy market in North America. Together with Xergi, they will continue our work on technological advancements that will increase energy production from existing feed stocks, while lowering capital and operating costs for large-scale renewable energy projects,” said Rich Kessel, President and CEO of Environmental Power.

“We look forward to developing innovative solutions that maximize renewable energy from agricultural and other waste organic feed stock.”

“Environmental Power and its subsidiary Microgy have established themselves as the leader in development and commercialization of RNG® projects in North America,” said Frank Rosager, President and CEO of Xergi.

“We look forward to learning more about how to produce the equivalent of Environmental Power’s RNG® product in Europe while supporting Environmental Power’s continued growth in North America. This is truly a mutually beneficial relationship.”

More...

Croatia Goes Big on Biogas with Largest Anaerobic Digestion Plant

Croatia to build largest biogas production plant in Europe

VUKOVAR, May 14. (Hina). A cornerstone laying ceremony was held on Wednesday at Ovcara farm outside the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar for the construction of the future largest biogas production plant in Europe.

The 30 million EUR project has been initiated by the Vukovar-based "Bionergija" company, established by the local Vupik agribusiness and several Croatian and foreign entrepreneurs.

The future plant, which should be built by the end of 2010, is expected to produce 10 megawatts of electrical energy and 11 megawatts of thermal energy daily.

According to a consultant of the Bienergija company, about 700 tonnes of biomass should be ensured daily from agricultural crops on Vupik-owned arable land for the production in the biogas plant.

The factory is to employ some 200 people.

Croatia is expected to raise the biofuels' share in transport fuels to 5.75 percent by 2012 and to 20 percent by 2020, parliamentary deputy Petar Mlinaric said at the ceremony.

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Biogas is the New Racing Fuel with Biomethane Powered Sciroccos

Only last weekend a guy told me that he thought biogas was a "cranky" subject! Well, I think not, and what could be better than this announcement to show such people just how wrong they are!

Biogas-Powered VW Sciroccos Debut at STCC

Source: NGV Global

VW Scirocco has successful STCC debut

Sweden

E.ON, a German producer of biogas and provider of biogas refuelling equipment, has partnered with Volkswagen Motorsport to enter two 100% biomethane powered Sciroccos in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) for 2009.

The team celebrated a successful race debut for its season-opening event, held at Mantorp racetrack in Mjölby, on May 2nd, in what is reputedly the toughest racing event for standard cars in Sweden. In the first of the two races the best Scirocco was in the 11th position, in the second race in the 9th position -- in both races 16 seconds behind the winner after a 14 lap race at the 3.1 km long circuit.

With further work on the new VW cars the biogas team is confident of performance improvements throughout the nine event season, held across venues in Sweden with one race in Norway. "The purpose of our effort is to demonstrate the potential of biogas - the Swedish climate-smart fuel, " says Håkan Buskhe, CEO of E.ON, adding they want to show that biogas is like any other fuel -- only better.

The (almost) 280 hp, 4-cylinder, 1998 cc Scirocco reaches 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 240 km/h, with output of 310 Nm. The two vehicles were built by Volkswagen Motorsport in Hanover.

Driver Fredrik Ekblom, who has completed nine STCC seasons (three championships, three silver and a bronze), and Patrik Olsson, who has raced in the Volkswagen Polo Cup, are enthusiastic about their vehicles. Ekblom said, "For me, this is a significant challenge. After nine seasons, to start with a whole new racing concept with clean, green fuel feels new, fresh and incredibly exciting."

Click here for more information.

Using Biomass to Produce Electricity More Efficient than Transforming the Biomass into Biofuels

The following is part of a newsletter from Green Power Conferences publicising their forthcoming BioPower Generation USA conference, Chicago, USA, 8-9 July 2009.

It certainly got me thinking, as I had always assumed the opposite to be the case, and I would dearly like to be able to attend to find out more.

By the way if you are not already subscriber to their Newsletter, get over to their web site (link given below) subscribe and enter the competition for a free event pass.

According to a recent report in Science, using biomass to produce electricity is 80% more efficient than transforming the biomass into biofuels and twice as effective in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

Join leading utilities, project developers, policy makers and investors in Chicago on 8-9 July for BioPower Generation USA and learn new strategies to increase biomass power generation across the U.S.

Attendees will have the opportunity to quiz leading project developers and utility representatives as they present best practice case studies, including:

- GreenHunter
- American Renewables
- Constellation New Energy
- Alliant Energy
- Progress Energy
- NV Energy
- Intrinergy
- Central Hudson Gas & Electrical Corporation
- AgriPower

"As RPS and carbon legislation evolve, so will opportunities to develop more bio-power projects" says conference speaker William Johnson, Manager of Biofuels Development at Alliant Energy. William will address how biomass can be integrated into existing power plant structures and look at the challenges in handling, transportation and storage of biomass sources.

Register today and benefit from our early bird discount (Valid until the 15th May) and get entered for a free event pass. More at the Green Power Conferences web site here.

What are your views? - use the blog comment post below the blog!

Biogas Plant Plan - Cumbrian Farmers to Generate Own Energy

Cumbrian farmers to generate own energy through biogas plan

Farmers in Cumbria are teaming up to develop anaerobic digestion facilities to generate their own renewable energy from agricultural waste.

Community Renewable Energy North West (CoRE NW), a group based in Workington, plans to set up a number of co-operatives to develop the plants, which will produce electricity and heat from farmers' manure and silage.

The first plant is to be developed at Middle Farm in Silloth, in the north west of the county, and could secure planning permission next spring. A feasibility study is currently under way, with 10 farmers interested in getting involved.

Hopes are that the £3.5 million digester could be commissioned by the end of 2010, producing just under 1MW of power - around seven million kWh units a year, or enough electricity to supply about 2,000 homes.

Plans are to use heat produced by the facility in the farm's four large chicken sheds, as well as to the next-door cement block factory.

Social enterprise NRG NorthEast Renewables Group is to supply and install the digester, subject to planning permission, with technology expected to be supplied by German biogas company Biogas Hochreiter.

The project will see local farmers owning the new anaerobic digester along with CoRE NW itself, while NRG will be a minor stakeholder.

Core NW has set up an energy supply company (ESCo) to manage energy sales, with expectations that the facility could bring in £1.2 million a year, achieving payback in around six years. Profits from the project - around £100,000 a year - will go towards setting up three more anaerobic digestion plants in the area, as well as supporting other community renewable energy projects.

Research behind the project has suggested that farmers involved in an anaerobic digestion scheme could see an annual income of £20,000, along with up to £16,300 for supplying materials and dividends averaging £10,000 a year.
Digestion

Anaerobic digestion involves bacterial feeding on organic material in large tanks, producing a methane-rich biogas that can be used to generate energy, as well as a residue that can be used as a fertiliser.

It is seen as a particularly attractive technology for north west Cumbria, since the region has a high density of dairy farms, which produce a considerable amount of manure and slurry, which is difficult to deal with under new legal controls.

CoRE NW said digestion plants could effectively double the profitability of dairy farmers.

Mike Pearson, who owns the farm where the first digester is being proposed, said: "We think this a great way forward for Cumbrian farmers. As well as increasing our income, it also means we reduce our usage of chemicals and produce renewable energy."

Initial work on the Middle Farm project was funded by West Cumbria social enterprise project The Hub, which is run by Lancashire-based industrial and provident society Co-operative and Mutual Solutions.

Feedstock for the plant is likely to inclure 20,000 tonnes of slurry, 10,000 tonnes of silage from currently unproductive land and 3,000 tonnes of chicken manure. Some 10,000 tonnes of food waste from Lakeland Creameries and other local sources could also be used in the plant.

More here...

Forthcoming Conferences by Biogasmax on Biomethane

European Biomethane Fuel Final Conference

Book the dates! and welcome to Sweden at the Biogasmax conference on Biomethane 7-9 September 2009. Biogasmax project has for three years implemented cross-analysis, research and innovation developments on biomethane as a vehicle fuel. This conference will give a great focus on the outcomes brought from this major European Commission funded initiative.

learn more ...


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Biogas to biomethane:

an ISET conference about the upgrading process
On February the 21th, 2008, our Biogasmax partner ISET organized
an event around the topic « biogas upgrading to biomethane »,
key step of the transformation of biogas into bio-methane.
Numbers of experts tackled technical, economic and legislative questions, while other ones came to present their own country experience. The porceedings of that conference is now available
on the ISET web site.


learn more ...


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New development in UK: biomethane for dual-fuel vehicle

The UK delivery compagny Sainsbury’s fleet of diesel heavy
goods vehicles was entirely converted into trucks with dual fuel engines using a combination of diesel and biomethane producted
from landfill biogas. Clean Air Power, a UK technology developer, supported this « Running on Rubbish » initiative, with its new
« Genesis » Dual – Fuel” combustion technology that enables
an existing diesel engine to operate with both diesel and bio-methane.

learn more ...

New Report Available on Opportunities for Converting Biomass & Wastes into Transport Fuels

If you have been a reader of this blog for a while I will hardly need to tell you that biofuels are seen by many as the best way of reducing emissions of the greenhouse gases. In addition, they can also be looked upon as a way of energy security which stands as an alternative of fossil fuels that are becoming limited in availability.

Biofuels can be theoretically carbon neutral, only releasing CO2 recently absorbed from the atmosphere by the crops used to produce them. Gasoline and other fossil fuels add to the CO2 supply in the atmosphere by giving off CO2 absorbed and trapped in plant material millions of years ago, but biofuels should not do so if produced sustainably.

So, using biofuels, especially those produced and used within the region in which they are created, can reduce the build-up of greenhouse gases that are said to cause climate change. In fact almost all harmful emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels are reduced when biofuels are used instead.

They can be used as a direct substitute for traditional petrol and diesel and can and are readily being integrated into existing fuel supply systems, and they are now poised to become truly big business.

Whereas in the past Anaerobic Digestion plants were seen as best developed to produce electricity, that focus which has been seen in the UK, is likely to change, with large numbers of AD Plants and also hydrolysis and gasification based systems installed to produce biofuel.

So, what does an interested entrepreneur or forward thinking farm business owner/manager do to cut through all this complexity? For example, diesel, is one of the many biofuels that can be produced from a wide range of feedstocks ranging from food crops and left-over food products like vegetable oils and animal fats, to the organic fraction of Municipal solid waste (MSW) – but is it the best one to go for?

Very soon the many options available can become bewildering.

Which are the most likely paths to a successful biofuel business? We are told that recent scientific breakthroughs have sharply lowered its production cost for the leading technology providers, but how can the average businessman be sure he can cut through the hype?

I was interested to see that Juniper, the UK waste processing and strategy consultant has recently produced a report which tackles these issues, and is for sale at their web site.

The report is called “Biofuels: A Decision Maker’s Guide to Opportunities for Converting Biomass & Wastes into Transport Fuels”.

This new report from Juniper considers more than 70 different pathways for deriving a range of fuels from biomass resources.

In their words:

“The market for sustainable transport fuels is growing rapidly, yet it has already become clear that many ways of deriving these are either uneconomic or open to criticism. So which pathways are likely to be commercially attractive? Which use technologies that are already proven and which require further technical development? These and many other issues are discussed in this new Management Briefing, which provides a succinct and comprehensive guide to the bewildering array of technologies, feed materials and output fuels that are being championed as the optimal solutions for meeting the world’s demand for biofuels.

This Guide will be an invaluable tool for investors, corporates and others interested in this market. It guides the reader through this complex and rapidly evolving sector, helping to identify ‘hotspots’ of market activity, pointing to interesting new developments and reviewing the current status of the market on a global basis.”

This should be an interesting report to many of our readers. Although it comes at a price, it should be affordable to those seriously looking to develop biofuels as a potential renewable energy business.

Further information from Juniper can be found here, and your constructive comments are always welcomed when entered into the comments box below this blog article.

UK Tonnages of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Waste to be Made Available

Those involved in anaerobic digestion will no doubt all welcome this information. For the first time the magnitude of the potential AD market in digestion of these wastes will be clear, however, it will be interesting to see how much wastage the food industry and supply cain will eradicate once awareness is raised! (BlogMaster)

New research led by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and Envirowise will calculate the total amount of fresh fruit and vegetable waste by product in the UK retail supply chain for the first time - and identify how to reduce it.

A key outcome of the project is the development of detailed ‘resource maps’, which will identify the amounts of fresh produce and packaging waste generated for eleven products at key points in the supply chain1 - and calculate the equivalent carbon and economic impacts.

Best practice guidance will be produced covering storage, handling and packaging, and reports will be made available for companies to benchmark themselves against the aggregated data. Opportunities for achieving environmental benefits and cost savings will also be identified.

WRAP and Envirowise are urging the sector to take part in the research to help provide a detailed understanding of the waste produced across all components of the supply chain - from packhouses through distribution to back of store. Data collection will include a comprehensive industry literature review as well as company-specific waste prevention reviews carried out on-site.

Charlotte Henderson, Retail Supply Chain Programme Manager at WRAP commented: “Understanding where and how much fresh produce food and packaging waste is generated at all points in the chain on a product by product basis will help to identify and develop the best solutions to reduce it. Implementing these solutions will enable considerable benefits to companies operating across the supply chain – economic and environmental – to be delivered and we would actively encourage companies to be part of this research.”

The project is to be undertaken by research specialists Cranfield University, working with food and grocery supply chain experts IGD and the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), representing the fresh produce sector.

“This partnership brings together expertise and knowledge of the complexities in the retail and wholesale supply chain in the UK,” commented Dr Leon Terry of Cranfield University. “We are delighted to carry out this essential research.”

Nigel Jenney, Chief Executive of FPC, said: “We are encouraging our members, including retailers, wholesalers and distributors to participate in the project, which will provide valuable information for the fresh produce sector on how to quantify and reduce both food and packaging waste.”

More at WRAP here.

Hear Best Practice Case Studies from 14 Biogas Producers

London, UK:  1 - 2, July 2009

Strategies & Challenges in Scaling up Biogas Production

5th International Biogas networking event


Key players in biogas project development, finance and policy will meet in London at Europe’s must attend biogas meeting to examine growth strategies, investment opportunities and technological advances in biogas production.

• Benchmark your projects with best practice case studies from 14 biogas producers, including: E.on, National Grid, Veolia, Viridor Waste Management, Dalkia, Gruppo Hera, United Utilities, Greenstar, Essent Warme, Naturgas Energia, GWE Biogas and Göteborg Energi
• Identify the key success factors in raising finance for your projects
• Understand the latest policy initiatives and developments in the regulatory framework
• Learn about new developments in biogas production from agri, waste, landfill, sewage and wastewater
• Hear updates in grid distribution, electricity generation, cogen, heating & transport
• Benefit from international insight and hear experiences from 9 countries including the advanced markets of Germany, Austria & Sweden
• Hear expert advice in planning on-farm AD installations during a focused workshop led by Farming Futures

With over 20 producers already confirmed to attend, this event will provide an excellent platform for knowledge transfer and for setting up new business deals.  


Click here to download the full event agenda
Click here to register today


PS – register before 15th May and receive a 10% discount

 

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Another great Green Power Conference:

San Francisco, USA, 1-2 October 2009

Green Power’s 6th Biogas conference will bring together the key biogas players to discuss the potential biogas has in North America. For 2 days participants will discuss strategies to increase production of on-farm, landfill, waste and wastewater biogas for heating, cogen and transportation.

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Biowaste Collection Seen By Press as Forcing Extra Bin Collections on UK Public

My goodness! The poor British Public are supposedly in danger of being overworked, stressed, and presumably oppressed by the EU's extra work burden involved for them to comply with the proposed additional Biowaste Food Waste Collections. There is no mention of the fact that additional collections would actually provide additional good quality feedstock material for Anaerobic Digestion Plants and thus spur on further adoption of AD and greatly benefit renewable energy production from waste.

The following is the short item:

EU considers proposals which could force more bin collections on householders

The EU is considering proposals which could force thousands of extra bin collections on British householders, council leaders will warn. The European Commission recently unveiled a series of ideas for reducing the carbon emissions that are created from people’s leftover food and garden waste. These include measures which would force new targets on councils for collecting so called ‘bio-waste’ and result in extra bin collections for thousands of householders.

http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=1781815

For the specific proposal on separate collection obligations, see point 5.5.3 on p16.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0811:FIN:EN:PDF

What do you think about these proposals? Is the waste management industry in danger of asking too much of the public?

Indian Biogas Activity Round-Up

Biogas plants continue to be developed and to receive a good press. The take up level for simple domestic anaerobic digestion plants is good where the schemes are available, and reports suggest that once built small scale household and community digesters built by local labour are used well. (See Ashden Awards)

Reportedly small AD Plants are operated consistently once built, with very real benefits for those that use them. Three articles show this optimistic outlook as partially reproduced below:

Samruddhi Foods to Generate Electricity through Biogas

Pune, Mar 21: Samruddhi Jeevan Food India will generate three phase electricity for the farmers and locals of Malthan village in Daund taluka of the district by erecting a biogas generating plant there, in a bid to get over ever-increasing periods of load shedding.

Talking to UNI here today, Samruddhi Jeevan Foods chairman and managing director Mahesh Motewar said ''our company has started to generate our own electricity with the help of biogas and till the end of March, the company will generate three phase electricity power which is certain to guarantee the success.'' He further said ''We have submitted our proposal to be included in the Limca Book of World Record as it is one of the unique project.'' Along with the project of biogas, other projects like animal husbandary, organic fertilizers, milk and dairy products

SKG Sangha, India

Biogas for cooking plus fertiliser from slurry

SKG Sangha uses local masons to build a biogas plant in Bidadi, South India.

Although the state of Karnataka in South India has thriving, affluent cities like Bangalore, most of the rural population are subsistence farmers, growing rice, millet, vegetables and coconuts in the monsoon-watered land. The main fuel for cooking is firewood, which is becoming increasingly scarce and is hugely time consuming to collect. Indoor air pollution as a result of firewood use is responsible for the high incidence of respiratory and eye problems suffered mainly by women and children.

In 1993, moved by his own experience of watching his mother cook on an open fire and suffer from itchy eyes and a bad cough, Mr D. Vidya Sagar set up SKG Sangha with the express aim of providing rural women in Karnataka with an alternative energy source to firewood for cooking. After researching available options, Vidya Sagar chose the 'Deenbandu' cow dung based biogas plant as the most reliable and cheapest alternative and, with the help of a bank loan, began building and supplying these plants to rural households.

Since 1993 SKG Sangha has installed over 43,000 of these biogas plants, which is the highest number of plants installed by a single organisation, certainly in India and probably in most other parts of the world as well.

http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/skgsangha

Energy clubs planned in each panchayat


Express News Service 11 Feb 2009


THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to take the energy-saving mantra to every household, Biotech- the Centre for development of bio-gas technology and other non- conventional energy sources - plans to start energy clubs throughout the State.

The project is expected to create a marked difference wherever waste and waste disposal pose a headache to the local bodies, Biotech Director Sajidas said.

As a first step, Biotech has called the attention of interested NGOs, engaged in energy-saving movements, to respond to the project. ``We will select one NGO for each panchayat, give them training and help them form the energy club, which will take forward the activities to the public,’’ Sajidas said.

The NGOs will be taught by Biotech members how to install bio-gas plants in households and convert waste collected in houses to energy for cooking.

The NGOs will be trained in setting up energy lamps in houses and also the maintenance works of the plant. Once trained, the NGOs will form energy clubs and will be allotted a panchayat each for carrying out their activities.

``The project is being undertaken with the subsidies granted by the Union Department for Energy Conservation and will be coordinated by our regional offices in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Under the project, we plan to start 1,000 energy clubs throughout the State,’’ Saji said.

More here.

Biogasmax Conference on Biomethane 7-9 September 2009

Here is a great conference to attend for those interested in renewable vehicle fuel from biogas. The whole subject of vehicle fuels and air pollution is going to become a really hot subject in my view, after the UK budget in the next few weeks, when we are told to expect moves on reducing emissions and advancing the renewable energy agenda. It is to be hoped it won't just be an elector grabbing take on zippy electric cars...

The EU Biogasmax project has for three years implemented cross-analysis, research and innovation developments on biomethane as a vehicle fuel. This conference will give a great focus on the outcomes brought from this major European Commission funded initiative.

Biomethane offers a unique opportunity to integrate waste management solutions with the production and use of a clean burning, low carbon transport fuel. This event will bring together expertise on the production, upgrading and distribution of biomethane, management of transport fleets and environmental assessment to make a strong case for the production of biomethane from organic waste, and its use in transport applications.

Presentations will include best practice from Sweden, France, Switzerland, Italy and beyond, insights on the gas vehicle market, on the on-coming European Commission policies and vision, expertise in the production, upgrading and distribution of biomethane, and details of assistance available for those considering biomethane projects.

The conference also offers the opportunity to participate in study visits to see projects first hand, and to discuss with those having hands-on experience. Above all, the event will represent an excellent opportunity to meet and network with a wide range of stakeholders involved in the production and use of biomethane, both informally and also through our expert panel sessions.


Book the dates!and welcome to Sweden at the Biogasmax Conference on Biomethane 7-9 September 2009.

US Biocycle Event in San Diego to Celebrate 50 Years

US BioCycle’s 50th Anniversary Conference this April is almost here...

BioCycle International Conference 2009

You are invited to join US colleagues at the only conference, which Biocycle informs us, is based on 50 years of industry leadership in every aspect of US composting, organics recycling and renewable energy.

The past 50 years of experience “captured in the pages of BioCycle” have provided our generation and those to come with the essential tools and knowledge to recycle organic waste streams back to the soils.

You are encouraged to register on-line today – before the conference is closed out due to limited space, and all space may have gone by the time you receive this.

With over 70 scientific and practical presentations scheduled on April 28 and 29 (Tuesday and Wednesday), you will not be able to see them all, and will have choices to make.

Programme

On April 27 (Monday), four workshops are being held:

Preparing Substrates For Anaerobic Digestion
Ruihong Zhang, PhD, Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, University of California, Davis
Robert A. Gillette, P.E., BCEE, Partner, Carollo Engineers; Nora Goldstein, BioCycle


Expanding Organics Recycling By Expanding Compost Markets
Instructor: Ron Alexander, R. Alexander Associates, Inc.

Organics Recycling In The Food Service Sector
John Connolly, JF Connolly & Associates
Janice Sitton, City of San Jose (California) Environmental Services Department
Robert Spencer, Environmental Planner

COOL 2012

And on April 30, the conference concludes with an all day field trip to facilities in San Diego.

Click here for more information.

Biffa Joins the List of Existing AD Plant Operators Planning Their Second Plants

Biffa Proposes Second Anaerobic Digestion Facility

News like this must surely be a wake-up call to all those just wondering whether to consider diving in and starting their own Anaerobic Digestion project? In this LetsRecycle announcement, Biffa, one of the UK's largest, if not the largest, waste management site operator is clearly voting for AD by this move. Here is part of the LetsRecycle article:

30-03-2009

Biffa Waste Services has announced plans to build an anaerobic digestion facility in the West Midlands capable of processing 80,000 tonnes of organic waste a year.


The High Wycombe-based waste management firm is set to submit a planning application to Staffordshire county council in the next few months to develop the facility at Cannock, in the South of the county. The plant will manage commercial and industrial waste, although there are currently no waste contracts in place.

Biffa explained that when the plant becomes operational in 2011, it would create 4 megawatts (MW) of electricity and 2MW of thermal heat a year alongside a high quality fertiliser for land restoration. It will also divert two million tonnes of waste from landfill over its 25-year operational life.

If approved, the Cannock facility will be the second anaerobic digestion facility built by Biffa after the firm's facility at Wanlip in Leicestershire and represents the company's latest move to establish itself as an energy rather than a waste disposal firm, following its takeover by private equity group WasteAcquisitionco in April 2008.

Andre Horbach, Biffa chief executive, said: "This is a step towards achieving our stated ambition to develop Biffa's energy-from-waste activities.

"It will build on the novel and unique expertise that Biffa has through the development of the UK's first operational Municipal Solid Waste AD plant in Leicester in 2003, which in itself generates 1.3MW annually," he added.

See the full Letsrecycle.com story here.

Going Green is Confusing - Defra Sets Out to Help Us All

Defra Announces Body to Help Businesses and Communities Go Green

Defra has announced a new body to help businesses and communities go green

Defra is bringing together a range of bodies under WRAP’s leadership to provide a one-stop-shop to help businesses, organisations and households become more resource efficient, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced today.

The decision was made following the recommendations from the Delivery Landscape Review set up in February 2008 to examine the seven organisations funded by Defra which currently work on resource efficiency. This will make it easier for businesses and households to get the advice they need on how to be more resource efficient by providing a single point of contact.

Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn said:

“All these organisations have done a great job in helping businesses and households to use resources more efficiently. But we know that some customers were confused by the myriad of services and bodies, so that is why we are making these changes.

“Now, under WRAP leadership we will provide a one stop shop for resource efficiency advice, and this should make it quicker and easier for people to get what they need.”

WRAP CEO Liz Goodwin said:

“We welcome this opportunity to lead a single organisation for resource efficiency. We believe it will help bring clarity for those seeking advice and support on resource efficiency – many of whom have already said they would prefer to deal with one organisation.”

This simplification is part of the cross-Government Business Support Simplification Programme which aims to make it easier for businesses to access Government help and advice.

More here.

Events: Sharing Experiences in Anaerobic Digestion

Forthcoming Events
In response to the reader who recently asked that we provide more information on events of interest to those involved in Anaerobic Digestion, we provide below the details of the forthcoming Aqua Enviro conferences which will be of interest to biogas fans.

SHARING PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES IN ANAEROBIC DIGESTION: WASTE & WATER

28th April 2009, The Hilton, Leeds

The Event will:

· describe the present environment for application of anaerobic digestion technology outlining the potential advantages whilst highlighting potential legal hurdles

· summarise Water Company experiences and operating practices gained from 100 years of sludge digestion

· summarise the more recent experiences of the waste industry applying AD technology to solid waste streams

· discuss potential common ground such as pre-treatment, co-digestion, digester design and operation, digestate treatment and nutrient recovery

· consider optimal uses for biogas

Organisations Involved:

SEPA, WRAP, Thames Water, Viridor Waste, Monsal, Shanks, HotRot Systems, Organic Waste Systems, Belgium, SLR Consulting Ltd

Aqua Enviro ask us to also please circulate these event details to colleagues and contacts that might be interested in attending.

Additional Events

OPTIMISING THE POTENTIAL OF BIOGAS – 2nd July 2009, The Hilton, Leeds

3rd EUROPEAN WATER & WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE - 22 – 23rd September 2009, ThinkTank, Birmingham

CALL FOR PAPERS DEADLINE 3rd APRIL – submit your abstract to: franceseldon@aquaenviro.co.uk
www.ewwmconference.com


14th EUROPEAN BIOSOLIDS & ORGANIC RESOURCES CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP & EXHIBITION – 9 – 11th November 2009, The Royal Armouries, Leeds

CALL FOR PAPERS DEADLINE 19th June – submit your abstract to: sarahhickinson@aquaenviro.co.uk

Frances Eldon
Aqua Enviro Technology Transfer
Unit 8, Appleton Court
Calder Business Park
Wakefield, WF2 7AR

Tel. +44 (0) 1924 257891
Fax. +44 (0) 1924 257455

www.aquaenviro.co.uk

AD Plant Specialist UTS Biogastechnik Moves Offices

UTS Biogastechnik GmbH – New Headquarters, New Projects, and Enables Further Service Improvements

UTS Biogastechnik GmbH moved into a new conveniently located head office in D-85399 Hallbergmoos, next to the Munich airport. This office is easy to get to for our international customers and partners and there are many UTS plants for them to see in the immediate neighborhood.

The new premises in addition to accommodating all customer related functions such as sales, engineering and service also offers expanded facilities for training national as well as international customers and staff and it can be expanded as necessary to support the expected growth of the company.

The production with its service and spare parts warehouse in Gruentegernbach, the product development office in Herzfeld as well as the service and sales points in other locations in Germany are not affected by this move. UTS is inviting customers, potential customers, suppliers and partners to its opening party taking place on Friday, March 27.

This will give all guests the opportunity to learn more about UTS and get to know the whole team. Next to the CEO, Dr. Andrew Benedek, and the President of the German Biogas Association, Josef Pellmeyer, the mayor of Hallbergmoos, Klaus Stallmeister, will welcome all attendants. Pastor Stefan Menzel will consecrate the new company building afterwards.

Despite the global economy crises, UTS has announced that it is continuing to grow during the first quarter of 2009, and still apparently has financing available.

So far this year the company has stated that it has received four orders in Germany and two outside of Germany for Biogas systems. The orders range from 150 kW to 1 MW and there are many more in development in Germany and in our five international offices in Europe. More here.

New - The Business Case for Anaerobic Digestion Page

I always like to see well written and new pages about AD. Here is an extract from a new web page which foots that bill, and below I have placed the contents list which those that subscribe to this blog will probably find interesting and well worth a visit:

A third of UK food goes to waste

Supermarkets are trialling anaerobic digestion as a way to generate energy and minimise their waste, and soon the biological process could have a far wider reaching application

With a spate of announcements on anaerobic digestion (AD) – from supermarkets using the biological process to handle their organic waste to the building of a national AD biogas network - something seems to be exercising decision makers. Are those bacteria that digest food waste at last going to be harnessed to their full potential? Dr Michael Gell examines the potential for AD to kick-start the building of an integrated biowaste infrastructure and to become one of the star technologies feeding energy into a renewables supergrid.

- What is Anaerobic Digestion?
- How does AD work?
- AD as a production process
- How widely is AD being used?
- Recognising the potential for AD
- Turning waste into useful products
- What are the environmental benefits of AD?
- Economic opportunities with AD
- What is driving the surge in interest in AD?
- Who are the key stakeholders for a national AD infrastructure?
- Carbon footprints in the food waste chain
- What are the supermarkets doing?
- Is AD commercially feasible?
- What are the prospects for a renewable gas network?
- What innovations might we expect with AD technology?

Go to ClimatChangeCorp for the full article.

Californian Dairy Farm AD Project Trialblazes US Net Metering

After finding this delightful farm web site I just had to tell you all about it! To be honest I don't know how recent or how newsworthy this is, but this site puts the argument perfectly for installing fairly low-tech tarped lagoon type AD Plants on farms very well. It also seems that issues had to be resolved before the power supply out into the local grid was obtained.

Here is an introduction from their site to explain what this farm did to become more sustainable:

No Greenhouse Gases Here!!

We Power The Dairy With Methane From Our Cows

It’s true!

After a 5-year process, we’re now creating electricity with our methane digester. The digester captures naturally occurring gas from manure and converts it into electricity. With this new system, we’re generating up to 300,000 kilowatt-hours per year. That is about $40,000 a year!

More importantly, tarping manure ponds eliminates the release of methane (a natural by-product of manure) into the air. According to the 2003 U.S. Department of Energy Report on Greenhouse Gases, agricultural sources, primarily animal waste, account for approximately three percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

A dairy cow can generate 120 lbs. of waste each day, totalling about 40,000 lbs. per year!

Solids separated from the waste are composted and reused as fertilizer, providing additional, far-reaching benefits.

The project received a 50 percent grant from the California Energy Commission. Ours is the first system to take advantage of regulations of “net metering”. Net metering allows Straus to run meters in reverse and also offset other electrical usage from other meters at the farm and the creamery.

More at The Straus Family Creamery web site.

Plans for £45m West Yorkshire Waste-to-Biofuel Plant Announced

Plans to develop a £45 million waste-to-ethanol facility in West Yorkshire have been unveiled by Leeds-based waste management company, Mytum and Selby.

The company has teamed up biomass-to-ethanol technology provider AqueGen to develop the Maltings Organic Treatment Plant at South Milford, with the eventual aim of converting 400,000 tonnes of waste as biomass into at least 100 million litres of the biofuel ethanol a year.

Operating through a subsidiary, The Maltings Organics Treatment Company, which it has set up in a joint venture with AqueGen, Mytum & Selby said that it hopes to have the plant up-and-running by 2011.

The company was granted a certificate of lawful use to allow it to treat waste on the site of a former brewery in March 2008 and says that, when built, the biomass-to-ethanol plant would be the first of its kind in the UK.

Mr Carrie said: "Our planning permission on site makes the plant the only one of its kind in the UK and enables us to handle huge quantities of food waste, ABP and liquids.

"Initially this will provide compost for agricultural and horticultural use and on completion the plant will convert the bulk of the biomass to the biofuel ethanol.

"This new initiative means we will be the first biomass to ethanol plant in the UK utilising biomass recovered from waste sources. The facility will meet increasing demand for environmentally-friendly fuel across the country,"

he added.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com on March 12, Mr Carrie explained that Mytum & Selby has just invested £500,000 in the site to allow it to develop a 25,000 tonne-a-year capacity in-vessel composting (IVC) plant , which it hoped to have operational by October 2009.

Phase two of The Maltings project, which the company hopes to complete by the end of 2010, would see the IVC facility's capacity increased to 75,000 tonnes-a-year, involving a total investment of around £1 million from the parent company. More.

Making Electricity from a Methane Digester

How is electricity produced using biogas, is a common question being asked by our visitors. In fact over 150 per week are seeking the answer to that question.

To answer the question I have written a new page at the Anaerobic Digestion web site, and I have tried to keep the article accessible as possible to all readers.

For my blog and email readers I have summarised the article as follows:

It is possible to generate electricity from the natural gas or biogas from an Anaerobic Digestion Plant (Biogas Digester) using a number of systems. The two types used are by an internal combustion gas engine, and a gas turbine.

A gas engine is similar to a automobile car engine, and a gas turbine is similar to a jet engine.

The first stage is to produce mechanical energy from the chemical energy released in the expansion produced by the heat rise of the burning gas. The mechanical energy in a rotating drive shaft is then coupled into an electrical generator.

The mechanical energy is utilized to drive the AC (alternating current) in magnetic windings in the generator giving us electricity. A turbine acts similarly.

It may seem a little strange to us at first, to use gas in an engine, but the principle is actually very old and goes back to the first days of engine development. Early automobile engines used methane and coal gas.

However, the person deciding to start a digester project must always consider the cost of connection into the local power grid when planning to build a biogas digester to produce electricity.

Another plus can be that carbon dioxide emission credit is available. Credits may be given reflecting the difference in greenhouse effect index between releasing landfill methane gas to the atmosphere and releasing the methane gas to the atmosphere after burning it to form carbon dioxide. In some cicumstances this can be registered on emission credit markets.

Biogas digesters are already producing electrical power in many countries, and the number is growing.

A Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system is always worth considering for all AD Plants.

Without the "cooling" provided by CHP, this heat goes into the atmosphere without serving any purpose.

CHP is a good way to gain better efficiency of power use, and usually it should bring in further income to fund the biogas digester operation.

For the full article visit the Anaerobic Digestion web site and the Making Electricity from a Methane Digester page.

Another AD First - NationalGrid Announces the Merits of Biomethane as an Energy Source

National Grid presents biogas report to UK government

(First posted 02/02/2009)
Half Britain's homes could be heated by renewable gas, says National Grid in a report it has presented to the UK Government.

The report looks at how all the biodegradable waste streams such as sewage, food and wood could be turned into biogas and injected into the gas distribution system.

Biogas is produced by two main processes. Anaerobic digestion which turns wet waste such as sewage and animal manure into biomethane and gasification which is better suited to drier wastes and energy crops. Biomethane is already being produced and injected into the gas grids in Europe.

It is estimated that biogas would be a similar price to other renewable energy sources. However because the country already has an extensive gas grid, there would be little need for disruptive infrastructure development or any major inconvenience to consumers in their homes or streets.

The report concludes that there are no insurmountable technical difficulties to delivering biogas. The main hurdle will be about getting the right commercial incentives in place so waste can be turned into biomethane for gas grid injection rather than electricity. This needs to be allied with a comprehensive waste management policy.

A copy of the report can be found in the Publications section of the National Grid web site.

Steve - This is one BIG and welcome turnaround! for the UK gas suppliers to, for the first time, welcome biomethane from Anaerobic Digestion Plants into the natural gas distribution system

Breakthrough Quality Protocol for Anaerobic Digestate Published

This protocol should assist the producers of AD Digestate massively to sell their digestate, if all goes well (Steve Last - www.anaerobic-digestion.com).

02-01-2009

Anaerobic digestion technology is expected to become more attractive to investors following the publication of a long-awaited Quality Protocol aimed at cutting red tape governing solid residues from the process, known as digestate.

The revised Quality Protocol is available now on the Environment Agency website

The revised Quality Protocol is available now on the Environment Agency website
WRAP, Defra and the Environment Agency have published a document which, subject to approval from the European Commission, will enable digestate which meets set criteria to be classified as a product rather than a waste. Such a move would mean the material would no longer be subject to waste management controls.

Anaerobic digestion is the process through which biodegradable waste is broken down by micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen. This process produces biogas, which can be used to generate energy, waste water and digestate.

The protocol is particularly significant because, despite government support for anaerobic digestion technology and its carbon benefits, there has been limited uptake of the technology in the UK to date - with marketing digestate one of the main sticking points.

Nick Bethel, policy advisor at the Environment Agency, told letsrecycle.com that
the protocol had been designed to "bring value into the resource" and one of its purposes was to create a "climate for investment". Mr Bethel added the EA was "expecting to see further investment and more AD facilities being built" thanks to the re-classification of digestate from a waste to a product.
Requirements

The Quality Protocol, which has been revised since an original consultation in April (see letsrecycle.com story) lays out a number of requirements for AD operators who want to produce "quality digestate" from biodegradable waste.

Digestate must be produced using source-segregated materials listed in the Protocol, such as municipal food waste which has been collected separately and specified food and animal wastes.

Significantly, the Protocol designates end market for the digestate. Those markets are:

• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Soil and field grown horticulture
• Land restoration
• Soil manufacture and blending operations
• Land reclamation

In all cases the digestate must be used in a way that does not "pose a risk to the environment" and does "not compromise the future sustainable use of the soil to which they are applied".

Waste operators must also keep strict records showing showing that digestate meets the approved standards and the Quality Protocol. AD operators must also obtain certification from an approved body such as the Association for Organics Recycling.

Before publication as a final document in England and Wales, the draft Quality Protocol must be notified before the European Commission's Technical Standards committee, which may take up to six months.

During this period, the Environment Agency will continue to regulate the production and use of quality outputs from anaerobic digestion of source-segregated biodegradable waste in accordance with the interim regulatory position statement available on the Environment Agency website.

A spokesman for Defra commented: "The Government recognises the potential of food waste to generate energy in an environmentally friendly way. For example, we are investing £10 million over the next three years into new anaerobic digestion demonstration plants to encourage a number of industries including energy providers to take up this important new technology."

Defra Announces New Anaerobic Digestion Initiative

Anaerobic digestion: new energy initiative

Food Waste

Farming Minister Jane Kennedy, speaking at the annual conference of the National Farmers Union in Birmingham on 18 February 2009, announced a new joint initiative with the public and private sector to make greater use of anaerobic digestion – the technology which produces energy from organic material like food waste and manure.

Ms Kennedy said:

"We're producing more organic waste in this country than we can handle, over 12 million tonnes of food waste a year – and farmers know all too well the challenges of managing manure and slurry.

"There are alternatives to sending organic waste to landfill. Anaerobic digestion is a true solution.

"This material could produce enough heat and power to run more than two million homes – helping to prevent dangerous climate change by providing a renewable energy source as well as reducing our reliance on landfill."

A report, ‘Anaerobic Digestion – Shared Goals’, has been drawn up in discussion with a wide cross section of the business community including: agriculture and biogas industries, supermarkets, water and energy companies, the waste and food sectors, Regional Development Agencies, local government, and regulators. It sets out collective ambitions for the use of this technology.

Ms Kennedy will also convene a new Task Group, to be chaired by Steve Lee, Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), and with members drawn from a broad range of sectors. It will lead the development of an implementation plan setting out the practical measures that Government and stakeholders will take individually and collectively to achieve these shared goals.

More here, and a link to the Defra Shared Goals Report - at least it appeared to be but was not working when we tried to access it!

Biogas Nord Expands to UK and Reports Tremendous United Kingdom AD Potential

Only two days ago, here at Anaerobic Digestion News we announced that UTS Biogastechnik is now also in UK & Ireland, but we have to admit to being slow off the mark with Biogas Nord's Press Release, below which shows their earlier UK AD Market entry which was announced last Autumn!

04. November 2008
BIOGAS NORD expands to UK

Mian Points:
• UK's first energy crop biogas plant commissioned
• Construction of second biogas plant commenced in October
• Tremendous potential thanks to an attractive legal framework

Bielefeld, 4 November 2008. The BIOGAS NORD group has constructed its first English biogas plant in Dorset. This also marks the commissioning of the first energy crop biogas plant in the UK. The plant, with a capacity of 370 kW, operates on liquid cattle manure as well as corn and grass silage.

Farmer Owen Yeatman, who is also the manager of BIOGAS NORD UK Ltd., operates the facility.

"German biogas technology enjoys a good reputation in the UK. The completion of this construction project by BIOGAS NORD generated a lot of local interest. Many farmers from all over the country are coming to see the new plant. They are impressed by its sturdy construction and high efficiency. Our phones haven't stopped ringing since the BBC aired its television report,"

says Yeatman.

BIOGAS NORD AG now intends to increase its British market share. "Since numerous prospective customers from Britain had to travel to Germany in order to see biogas plants in the past, the construction of our first local reference facility will make a tremendous contribution towards future sales efforts. With currently less than 10 existing biogas plants, the English biogas market offers significant growth potential," explains Hardy Radke, sales manager at BIOGAS NORD UK.

Construction of another BIOGAS NORD biogas plant with a planned capacity of 1 MW commenced in West Sussex in October 2008. This construction project in the Southern UK is slated for completion in the spring of 2009.

Supply remuneration in the UK for electricity generated using biogas - among others - is regulated by a bonus system. In addition to certificates with baseline remuneration, the so-called ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates), variable payments for electricity supplied to the network are linked to market prices. This applies regardless of the size of the facility and the choice of substrates. Amended bonus regulations will come into force and ROC remuneration will double starting in April of 2009.

"By entering the British biogas market early, we have put ourselves in a favourable starting position in this important core market,"

explains Matthias Kubat, member of the BIOGAS NORD AG executive board.

"Since our flexible plant technology is not limited to the agricultural sector, we are extremely well positioned. We also offer corresponding solutions for other types of organic waste, for example in the food service industry. Thanks to the commitment of the British government to continue promoting renewable energy sources and the planned increase in supply remuneration, we are expecting significant market growth. BIOGAS NORD is ready to reap the benefits,"

Kubat adds. More here at Biogas Nord's web site.

Major German AD Company UTS Opens UK and Ireland Operation

UTS Biogastechnik is now also in UK & Ireland

Foundation of UTS Biogas Ltd.

The UTS Biogastechnik Group of companies were extended into the United Kingdom and Ireland by a new subsidiary on December 1, 2008.

UTS Biogas Ltd., with Rob Heap as General Manager, is located in North Yorkshire, near Scarborough and will provide full support to biogas markets in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Rob Heap has many years of experience in the agricultural and allied industries.

The CEO of the parent company, Dr. Andrew Benedek, said:

"It is now the right time to enter this very interesting and rapidly expanding market. Government plans to support renewable energies are well developed and already the first bills have been accepted by Parliament. It is our belief that this act will certainly help with climate change and, most importantly, will also significantly help local environments by turning waste into energy."

From the German perspective they view the biogas sector in the UK as hardly developed – compared with other European markets.

First developments show that mostly small – medium output plants are appealing to potential customers.

UTS has over sixteen years experience in building reliable plants in this range and they believe that they have a lot to offer the UK market as they can also support the developing UK AD market as the plants in the larger megawatt ranges become important.

With the full support of the parent company situated in Germany, Rob Heap and the UTS team want to offer their future customers a total-solutions concept including feasibility, planning, design & build, operating, training and complete after-sales support following hand-over of the plant.

Rob’s view is that:

“With the vast experience, flexible approach and advanced technical standards of UTS-products, we can deliver more reliable plants and comprehensive supporting services to the UK & Irish markets than those that have been available before."

Further information can be obtained at their website: www.uts-biogas.com

Remade to Offer £25k Cash for Scottish Pilot to Study EfW Heat Use

The Scottish Government looks for pilot plant looking at heat use from EfW plants.

The Scottish Government under its ‘Remade Scotland’ programme is going to make an award of £25,000 towards a pilot plant looking at heat use from EfW plants. Do you have a suitable plant to apply with an expression of interest?

The Scottish Government have asked Caledonian Environment Centre (CEC) as part of its Remade Scotland programme to manage a tendering, evaluation and funding award project for a pilot on heat use from Energy from Waste plants (EfW). This project was suggested by the Zero Waste Think Tank for Scotland.

It is expected that suitable projects will contribute to the flexible development of waste heat use from EfW plants in line with Government policy to ensure EfW systems recovery energy efficiently.

Specifically the project will look to cover a number of factors or issues including:

* Technical evaluation
* System optimisation
* Scale-up costs
* Barriers
* Energy recovery – heat capture and transfer efficiency
* Innovation

There are no technology restrictions for funding although it must be for a pilot project of heat recovery and from an EfW or Waste to Energy (WtE) plant, thermal or non-thermal, including landfill gas and composting. Deliverables from the pilot will include a publicly available report from the successful applicant detailing the outcomes from the defined project criteria. Funding is only available for pilot projects based in Scotland.


Remade Scotland, if you have not yet heard, is a major initiative which seeks to stimulate, develop and strengthen recyclate material markets in Scotland.

Supported by the public and private sector in a unique partnership, the Remade programme - the first of its kind in the UK - was launched in 1999. The Programme has been assisting both Local Authorities and the Waste Industry for nearly 10 years providing successful, cost effective and sustainable solutions. Well aware of the importance of others players such as community groups to further develop recyclate material markets, Remade Scotland also works with and provides guidelines to several of these organisations.

As part of the Scottish Government's Zero Waste Initiative, in partnership with two other delivery programmes, SWAG and WRAP, Remade Scotland has agreed a three programme of support to help Scotland achieve ambitious recycling targets.

For more information Go to the Remade News section.

The Gribble and Yorkshire Research Seeks to Isolate Biofuel Producing Enzyme to Compete with Anaerobic Digestion

Simon McQueen-Mason, Professor of Materials Biology at the University of York, has won a record budget to investigate how the gribble consumes wood.

According to Michael McCarthy the Independent Environment Editor the little creature could hold the key to a discovery which would turn wood into sustainable motor fuel on a vast scale.

If they can isolate and synthesise the enzyme the quirky named creature uses to feed on wood, the way may then be open to greatly increase production of biofuels such as ethanol can be made without using food crops.

We are told that Simon came across the gribble when he was a professional fisherman on the Isle of Wight for six years before beginning his academic career. "I used to clean the bottom of other people's boats, and gribble was a major problem," he said.

Now his laboratory will study gribbles collected from rotting wood by staff from the University of Portsmouth, identifying their enzymes and trying to reproduce them synthetically.

The name of the gribble sounds as if it must be a purely fictional creature straight out of a children’s story or cartoon. But in fact it's a small marine creature resembling a woodlouse.

The gribble spends its life boring into the planks of boats and the pillars of piers and to eat them, and its wood-consuming technique is highly successful. The gribble, is actually, the four-spot gribble, Limnoria quadripunctata, and will feature strongly in Britain's biggest-ever publicly-funded bioenergy research programme, announced last week.

£27m will be spent over five years in the project which aims to create so-called "second generation" biofuels, which are much more efficient than those in production today and in a way which will be much more environmentally friendly than present biofuels, which are largely manufactured from food crops such as maize, wheat or sugar cane.

These proposed second-generation fuels will be derived from non-food plant material, ideally plant waste such as straw and wood, with fast growing high calorific value willow being particularly favoured. If they can isolate the enzymes the gribble uses to extract the nutritious sugars from wood they will have made a big step on this path.

Success could mean an enormous expansion of willow as a biofuel crop in Britain, on some of the three million acres of lesser quality or marginal farmland countrywide, which would go a long way to meeting Britain's targets of drawing 5 per cent of motor fuel from biological sources by 2010 and 10 per cent by 2020.

Would it compete with Anaerobic Digestion? To a certain extent; Yes! However, demand for renewable fuel is likely to be so high that there will be a place for the second generation biofuels and biogas/anaerobic digestion.

As ever - please give us your views by commenting on the blog site, we would be delighted to know your thoughts about this.