Date:              02 December 2008

Embargo:       None

High Profile for Anaerobic Digestion

ESA met officials from Defra to discuss the opportunities and challenges in developing anaerobic digestion (AD) infrastructure in the UK. The Government has indicated its continuing confidence that the technology can deliver against a number of key priorities, including the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill, the generation of renewable energy and energy security.

While the future for AD appears to be bright, a number of policy uncertainties are seen to be holding back the early adoption of AD around the country. The announcement earlier this year that AD generators will qualify for double ROCs (Renewables Obligation Certificates) from 2010 is expected to improve the viability of proposed facilities. However, the precise nature and effect of “feed-in” tariffs proposed in the Climate Change Bill are as yet unknown, as is the Government’s thinking on the shape of the proposed renewable heat obligation. These are likely to be keenly watched by investors in AD.

Progress on the development of a quality protocol and publicly available specification for AD digestate is reported to be on track. The willingness of key partners to accept the practice of returning digestate to agricultural land would be essential to the success of AD as a technology, as would the availability of sufficient land bank in the face of restrictions such as the NVZ (Nitrate Vulnerable Zone) regulations. If such issues were to go unresolved, it was unclear how the outputs of AD would be accommodated and ongoing work by WRAP and Defra may prove critical in this regard.

AD may be most appropriate as a technology for locations where arisings of food waste are concentrated, such as centres of food processing and manufacturing, but attention is focused on managing food waste from households. Some local authorities have started trialling or rolling out food waste collections, and observers will be watching to see how the Government harmonises increased collection with the provision of AD processing capacity.

ESA will join the second high level meeting about to be held by Defra Ministers to promote this technology.

ENDS