David Kinnersley, our Head of Agribusiness and an expert in anaerobic digestion (AD) systems, led a panel discussion at the Low Carbon Agricultural Show at the NAEC in Stoneleigh last month. We caught up with him to learn more about the panel discussions which focused on what opportunities are out there in AD, and how farmers can take advantage to not only help the environment but to boost their bottom line.
“Farmers use anaerobic digestion plants to convert waste into useful biogas and digestate, but many are not utilising the technology to its full potential for a variety of reasons. With the farming industry under continued pressure to drive down carbon emissions, farmers are on the lookout for simple solutions that can help them do that without costing them a fortune.
“AD and the production of biogas is a solution that many farmers are using. Biogas production is where farm waste is chemically digested by bacteria and converted into a gas mixture of mainly carbon dioxide and methane, which can then be used as biofuel, for further energy generation, or put back into the grid. In many cases, AD could be used more effectively, whether by converting the type of AD plant a farm is using, committing to the pre-treating feedstock to produce better yields of biogas, or using cutting-edge technology to better capture methane emissions from slurry lagoons.
At the panel discussion, the audience heard from a mix of industry experts on the opportunities in the market.
“Lucy Hopwood, Director and Lead Consultant at bioeconomy consultants NNFCC, detailed how more AD plants currently running could be improved. Currently, the UK has around 650 AD plants, of which 530 are the basic conversion to heat and power (CHP) type. In these plants, biogas is mainly used to generate renewable energy on the farm. But 130 are known as biomethane injection plants, where the biogas is converted into pure methane and then injected back into the gas grid for commercial use.
“In most cases, biomethane plants are more efficient and produce better ROI, but the high costs of conversion and proximity to the gas grid remain a barrier to many farmers. Small-scale farms may need further government support to make this conversion or be empowered to use the biomethane off-grid if injecting into the grid is unrealistic.
“We also heard from John Lyndon-Taylor of Birch Solutions, who highlighted how farmers could hugely benefit from pre-treating their AD plant’s feedstock by breaking it down at the cellular level to allow for more efficient digestion. This results in a much higher yield of biogas and is often an area that is overlooked by farmers.
“Mark Clayton, the founder of QUBE Renewables, showed us how his small yet efficient methane capturing devices can help farmers ensure methane emitted by a variety of sources, including slurry lagoons, does not go to waste.
“For farmers, it is not just increased efficiencies that make AD viable. Joanna Goad of ADBA pointed out that many supermarkets are looking to decarbonise their entire supply chain and want to sell products that are from sustainable farms as a result of consumers becoming more savvy. AD can help farmers achieve that and make their produce more attractive as a result.
“It is clear that AD and biogas still have a vital part to play in boosting farmers’ income, reducing emissions and ultimately helping the UK reach Net-Zero. And with new developments and efficiencies in the sector emerging all the time, farmers should be encouraged that AD is a solution that will continue to improve long-term.”
Anyone interested in advice and support on adopting or improving their AD capabilities is encouraged to contact our Agribusiness team by clicking here.
