ANAEROBIC DIGESTION Clearfleau
Making the most of on-site anaerobic digestion
There needs to be a fundamental shift in how and where renewable energy is generated, and it’s up to the government to address this, says Richard Gueterbock from British anaerobic digestion specialist, Clearfleau
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n-site anaerobic digestion (AD) can enhance the sustainability of the food and beverage sector
by reducing fossil fuel use and cutting the carbon footprint on individual sites. However this opportunity has been undermined by the outgoing government’s failure to deliver on its promises. If more food industry sites were to
replace energy intensive residue treatment systems with on-site digestion it would reduce the carbon footprint of our food supply. However Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) policy errors have restricted the development of the on-site AD sector. The failure to support British businesses
in the development of AD technology has inhibited efforts to boost decentralised renewable energy output. Three policy failings stand out: Size is not everything Policy decisions are increasing the scale of AD plants, even though this is not always the best use of the technology. Concerns about larger merchant plants include feedstock transport and odour issues, operational effectiveness and digestate disposal. The FIT Degression Mess The scale issue is compounded by DECC’s mismanagement of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme that allows companies using the technology to be paid for the energy generated. Accelerated degression of the FIT rate for sub 500kW on-
site AD plants for farms, rural communities and industrial sites has slowed the development of AD, hitting emerging British companies and restricting overall growth. Overall Policy Inconsistency The two government departments involved – DEFRA and DECC – have contributed to policy inconsistency. For example, despite DEFRA’s ethical and land use concerns about crop- based digesters, DECC has facilitated the development of this sector, with rapid degression undermining the viability of smaller manure digesters. More can be done to encourage widespread deployment of smaller scale AD. In addition to more consistent policy, the government should encourage investment and innovation, and limit reliance on imported technology.
Suggestions for new government policies on renewable energy include: Development of new technologies: Investment in innovative technology requires a consistent incentive regime that values decentralised energy generation at the point of use. Increased generation from new technologies and novel fuels, such as hydrogen, plus other innovation solutions will require investment and British engineering skills. Consistent incentives for small scale: We need smaller heat or power based bio-energy systems for community, farm and industrial sites. Innovation for small scale on-site renewable energy requires better incentives to stimulate early stage investors. To match some of our EU counterparts, the UK urgently needs a sub 100kW FIT incentive for AD.
18 REview Renewable Energy View 2015
Regulatory burden on sustainability: Smaller scale generation for community, farm or factory sites, limits losses incurred in transmission and offers partial energy security. Regulators must be flexible over where plants are located and allow food residues from rural communities to be digested on farms. Next generation of green engineers: More engineers are needed to design, build, operate and maintain renewable energy facilities, which means more training programmes focused on the renewables sector are essential. This could include a targeted apprentice scheme for renewables companies and provision for retraining engineers from other industrial sectors. Promote the circular economy: If companies are to improve their resource utilisation embracing the circular economy, they need evidence that government ministers back this approach with more than words. By deploying its innovation and technical skills, the UK can cease to be a laggard and take the lead in developing new solutions.
The next government must back British low carbon, sustainable technologies, not only to meet carbon emissions targets, but also to create jobs and stimulate growth. There needs to be a fundamental shift in how and where renewable energy is generated, and a focus on resource optimisation as part of investment decisions across industrial sectors.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0) 844 477 6292
www.clearfleau.com
www.r-e-a.net
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