Defra launches plan to increase AD uptake

There are currently around 25 on-farm AD plants in England and a further 10 in construction.

But Government-wide targets to dramatically increase the production of renewable energy and tackle greenhouse gas emissions have prompted Defra’s plan.

New measures include financial incentives such as capital grants, a £10 million programme of demonstration sites across the country and a new research unit to test out the latest technology.  

Hilary Benn, Environment Secretary, announced the implementation plan ‘Accelerating the Uptake of Anaerobic Digestion in England’ yesterday (Thursday, March 25).

“Anaerobic digestion has fantastic potential because it uses organic material that would otherwise be thrown away and converts it into renewable energy.

“We should aim to become world leaders in the innovative use of AD,” he said.

However, CLA President William Worsley said the plan fell well short of farmers’ needs.

“Defra and the Environment Agency continue to regulate Anaerobic Digestion using inflexible and costly provisions which tie investors up in red tape.”

He added: “The new Feed-In Tariff (FIT) for electricity from biogas makes small-scale biogas plants on farm uneconomical.

“Many CLA members who were planning to invest in this most sustainable technology have cancelled their project because of this. The review of FIT promised for 2013 is simply too late.”

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