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BIOGAS Edina What was not in the guidelines but is


covered by law is that a separate meter or system is required to measure ‘non-eligible’ heat use. Without these two readings the payment will not be made. Even investors using professional companies to help with the paperwork can suffer, as Ofgem use a queuing date system for answering emails/ queries rather than assigning cases on an individual basis. This has also been a frequent complaint from those seeking Feed-in Tariff (FIT) accreditation.


Offering incentives for energy savings


Planning an AD plant and applying for incentives like RHI is not for the faint-hearted. However, users are confident that when technology is more widely applied, the system will pay regardless of subsidy, says Sarah Farr of Edina


R


enewable Heat Incentive (RHI) for biogas using combined heat and power (CHP) at a practical scale has been


available for just over a year. It has aroused a considerable amount of enthusiasm by some, scepticism and disbelief by others and a degree of bravery by those being the first to tackle the scheme’s red tape. Although at first glance the financial reward


for the installation of biomass or biogas- fuelled heating for commercial uses looks very attractive, in effect there are understandably very stringent rules to comply with, and potential loopholes that may be closed in subsequent rounds of RHI legislation. Non-domestic RHI for commercial biomass and for biomethane injection into the grid has been available for several years. However financial support for heat use from a biogas CHP plant (referred to as biogas combustion) above 200kW thermal output has only been available since December 2013, and anaerobic digestion (AD) plants commissioned before this date are ineligible. The RHI for biogas CHP is supported in three band rates, depending on the total


heat recovered from the CHP installation. Below 200kW thermal the rate is 7.5p/ kWh, between 200kW and 600kW the rate is 5.9p/kWh, and above 600kW the rate is 2.2p/kWh.


Useful applications This has prompted serious consideration and implementation of schemes that give more thought to capturing heat and using it, and that makes possible greater advances in the research and development of drying digestate following the anaerobic digestion process. This then lends itself to further uses such as animal bedding, or fuel itself as pellet form, as well as reducing volume for land spreading. Another useful application is steam generation for use in maltings, or food processing industries. Also drying wood and grain is viable and is currently under final development stages on several sites. As the first few projects receive accreditation, it is apparent that misleading information on the requirements of the scheme is commonplace and can have serious financial implications for those investing their time and money. One such example is the confusion regarding the heat meters. It is clear that a heat meter must measure the amount of heat that is used to attract the RHI payment.


26 REview Renewable Energy View 2015


Strathendrick Biogas One of the first projects with a CHP system from Edina to achieve RHI accreditation is Strathendrick Biogas. The plant has feedstock for the AD process on its doorstep from dairy farm cow slurry, distiller’s draff and pot ale syrup from local whisky distilleries, and some grass silage. This produces enough biogas to fuel an engine from Edina, the TCG2016V12 model from MWM which has an output of 500 kWe and 500 kWth. The electricity powers the farm and plant with surplus exported to the grid, attracting the FIT. The heat from the engine is sufficient to heat the water for the dryer and to warm the tank, enabling a more efficient AD process. The dryer is a NEWtainer from NEWeco- tec GmbH and is multi-purpose, potentially drying grain, wood or other materials; however Strathendrick Biogas uses it purely for drying digestate. Strathendrick Biogas uses all the waste from the farm, stores a proportion of the dry digestate for six months which means little odour is emitted when it is used as fertiliser, and the remainder of the digestate is suitable for cattle bedding. So far it has received a very favourable response from the farmer trialling it, who finds that it is absorbent, minimises odour and is more economic than purchasing and transporting straw. The RHI is paid on this aspect of the operation only. The equipment was a sizeable investment and proceeding with the digestate drying would have been barely viable at this juncture without the RHI. Users are confident, however, that once the technology is more widely applied and demonstrably successful, the system will pay regardless of subsidy and over a shorter period of time. Planning an AD plant and applying for the


appropriate incentives is still not for the faint- hearted, and the seemingly inevitable delays make a good dialogue with your lender absolutely essential. For latest policy updates and advice contact the REA, ADBA, and The ADE.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0161 432 8833 Email: info@edina.eu


www.edina.eu


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