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anaerobic digestion
The inputs for anaerobic digestion are readily available through agricultural and domestic processes; any volatile organic material can be anaerobically digested (in the absence of oxygen), including: food waste, farm slurry, slaughterhouse waste and landfill gas.
The process produces two useful products in an environmentally friendly way: - biogas (similar to natural gas)
- nutrient-rich digestate/fertiliser
This process is ideally suited to Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. The requirement to have storage available for manure produced between October and March can be combined with this renewable energy production. This will reduce costs because you will effectively get a return from the storage of manure. The incentive payment from the Feed In Tariff will be inflation linked for 20 years, so once your initial investment has been paid for, you will continue to obtain an income from energy sales.
| | Tariff level (will be inflated annually) for new installations in period (p/kWh) | | Tariff lifetime (years) | Scale | | Year 1: 1.4.11 - 31.3.12 | Year 2: 1.4.12 – 31.3.13 | Year 3: 1.4.13 – 31.3.14
| | | ≤ 250 kW | | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | | 20 | | > 250 - 500 KW | | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | | 20
| | > 500 KW | | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.4 | | 20 |
There are three stages to this process: - micro-organisms break down the organic waste matter, which is then fermented into fatty acids, soluble acids, carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas.
- micro-organisms then break down the remaining fatty acids to release further carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
- finally micro-organisms convert the remaining acids, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, into biogas.
However most on-farm digesters are effectively only single-phase, continuous-flow mesophilic processes operating at 35ºC.
Heat from the electricity generation process may also attract additional income especially where there is a local use for the heat produced or it can be used to warm the digestion process on-site, thus reducing the size of the digestion tank and the capital costs required. Government heat production incentives for 2010 are minimal however the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive in 2011 will put greater focus on the exportation of heat to local homes and businesses as is currently common in Denmark and Sweden.
To discuss any aspects of these processes, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Townsend Chartered Surveyors are independent advisors and are not tied to any technology suppliers, contractors or energy distribution network.
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