News
THE UK ANAEROBIC DIGESTION & BIOGAS TRADE ASSOCIATION’S BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
Issue 23 September 2014
Engaging local communities to secure a bright future for AD UK AD & Biogas Industry Award winners
UK AD & Biogas 2014 review
FIT review
Focus on process control
In Any Colour You Require
Lipp Systems Ltd, 6 Faroe, Gotts Road, Leeds, LS12 1DF UK T: 07841 948 450
E: info@lipp-system.co.uk W: www.lipp-systems.co.uk
www.adbiogas.co.uk
AD & Biogas News | september 2014
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Foreword
United for continued growth
Inside this issue > Foreword:
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Viewpoint:
4
ADBA News:
4-6
Regions: Feature – Engaging local communities:
7 8-12
Government & Agency News:
13
UK AD & Biogas Industry Awards 2014 Review:
14-15
UK AD & Biogas 2014 Show Review:
16-17
UK AD & Biogas 2014 Show Highlights:
18-20
Technology Focus – Measuring & controls: 23-25 Members’ News and Views:
26-29
Policy News:
30-31
Working Groups:
32
R&D Update:
33
Upcoming Events:
35
By Wayne Hurley, ADBA’s Head of Membership
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s ADBA celebrates its fifth birthday, it seems timely to reflect on how much we, as an industry, have grown. There are now almost 150 operational plants outside the water sector in the UK, up from just 32 in 2009, with many more in the pipeline, as well as millions of pounds of investment from water companies in new AD assets which have increased the energy generated from sewage by over a quarter. Supporting our members to enable this growth to continue over the next five years remains our main focus. The last 12 months have seen us work closely with our members to shape AD policy in a number of areas: we contributed to the influential House of Lords report on stimulating a bioeconomy, which is already influencing government’s view on food waste policy; our recommendations helped shape the Department for Transport’s HGV Gas Strategy; the biomethane campaign group we established with the ENA is working hard to reduce the regulatory burden for biomethane developers; and we achieved exemption for AD from restrictions on investment in RHI/RO supported schemes by EIS qualifying funds – to name a few.
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But there is clearly much more work to be done, not least regarding Feed-in Tariff degression and the uncertainty surrounding the RHI biomethane tariff. For both current developers and existing operators, appropriate environmental regulation is also vital, as is mitigating risk by developing markets for digestate. It is therefore more vital than ever that we work alongside our members to present a strong, united voice for the industry.
To be considered for inclusion in a future issue contact: Editor: Kate O’Reilly T +44 (0)7894 039609 E kate.oreilly@adbiogas.co.uk
As the UK’s only organisation to solely represent AD, we are constantly striving to find new ways to support your business. Our new membership year begins this October and to reflect our growing number of operator members, we will be looking to provide more hands-on support. Our crop operator and food waste operator groups enable both new and experienced operators to share best practice, address challenges and drive policy and regulatory change, and we will also be establishing regional farm operator groups, in addition to our Farmers’ AD Introductory Meetings.
Editorial:
AD&Biogas News FEATURES Features planned for Issue 24 (November) include: • Spotlight on biomethane – why upgrading to biomethane for use as a transport fuel or for injection into the grid is growing in popularity • ADBA National Conference Preview • Technology focus: CHP Copy deadline: 12 September
Features planned for Issue 25 (February) include: • AD in the food and drink sector • ADBA National Conference Review • Technology focus: Pumps • Plant Update 2015 Copy deadline: 21 November
Sponsorship and advertising: Jamil Ahad T +44 (0)203 176 4414 E jamil.ahad@adbiogas.co.uk Rachel Fenton T +44 (0)203 176 5418 E rachel.fenton@adbiogas.co.uk
Further support is of course always available from our in-house team of AD experts. In line with the growth of the industry and our membership, our staff numbers have recently increased with the creation of new roles such as Market Analyst and PR & Parliamentary Affairs Manager, which have added even more strength and depth to the Association. With the general election just around the corner, it is imperative that we continue to fight the industry’s corner – let’s work together to ensure that the next five years are just as successful as the last. To find out more about the benefits of becoming an ADBA member, go to p36 or contact me: E wayne.hurley@adbiogas.co.uk T +44 (0)203 176 5416 www.adbiogas.co.uk Capacity projections 600 500 400 Total MWe-e
Membership Matters:
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www.adbiogas.co.uk Cover photo: © Emerald Biogas
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ADBA News Why industry needs to work together now more than ever before By Charlotte Morton, ADBA’s Chief Executive
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his issue of AD & Biogas News marks ADBA’s fifth birthday, during which time the industry has grown by almost 500% to nearly 150 plants. The range of subjects covered in the magazine indicates the volume of work now required to support those plants, and to continue to strengthen and build the industry. There is no doubt that the coming year will be crucial for the AD industry: government will take decisions on the Renewable Heat Incentive, the Feed-in Tariff and support for smaller scale AD. The future of food waste policy – including the prospect of landfill bans and segregated collections – is also high on the political agenda. However, 2014-15 will be just as important for existing plants as for developers; the publication of crop best practice guidance, the introduction of sustainability criteria, the publication of the biofertiliser matrix, and development of BREF could all change the way plants operate. As the industry matures, therefore, we need to continue to do our best to support operators – initiatives such as our regular operator groups, for example, provide an opportunity for operators to discuss critical common issues, and to feed into our efforts to ensure that regulation is workable and supportive. And at UK AD & Biogas 2014, our new R&D Hub showcased some of the innovative techniques and technologies which can help developers and operators get more from their resources. We will continue to support the interaction between industry and academia throughout the year, and will also continue to be strong advocates for AD’s place in a greener, more sustainable economy. If we reach our potential, AD could reduce the UK’s overall greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2% – a huge contribution for any single industry. Therefore, as we look towards the 2015 election we need to send out strong messages, both about what we are already achieving and where we could be with the right support. If we get it right we will be an industry at the cornerstone of the circular economy, reducing waste and supporting sustainable farming, food production and energy generation.
FIT review gets underway – have your say DECC has begun work on the full Feed-in Tariff (FIT) review in preparation for a scheduled consultation next year, and officials held meetings with ADBA and the other major renewable trade associations in July and August. DECC clearly has some constraints that it will have to work within: the fact that the FIT budget overall has already overspent (largely due to solar PV), the impact of new State Aid rules, and the uncertainty caused by the 2015 election. With little realistic chance of additional FIT spending within the Levy Control Framework (LCF), and the budget already under pressure, DECC will clearly be looking for tight cost control measures. From our perspective, this also means we need to strongly prioritise the changes we want to see, as we cannot rely on an expansion in the LCF. The process that the FIT team will go through over the coming year is likely to include taking evidence and views on: • The evidence base on capital and operational costs; • Whether 5-8% is a reasonable rate of return; • What future cost reductions are possible; • Whether new bands are justified. Our case will be strongest where we have good, documentary evidence, for example including contracts and technical information wherever possible. We will be looking for as much support on this from members as possible – this is similar to the process which gathered an excellent quality of anonymised, commercially sensitive evidence to feed into the RHI review. All of the trade associations for different technologies have identified that the current system of preliminary accreditation is not working. DECC has therefore agreed to hold workshops this autumn to discuss this issue – and possible remedies to it – in more detail. We also raised the length of time that Ofgem has taken to process applications, and the impact this has had on plants going through the pre-accreditation process.
Get involved To stay in touch with the FIT review and our work towards it go to www.adbiogas.co.uk or E matt.hindle@adbiogas.co.uk
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ADBA News DECC considering feedback following RHI consultation
Alongside our consultation response, we sent a joint ADBA/REA letter to then Energy Minister Greg Barker, calling for DECC to protect existing investments and take account of evidence showing that the costs assumed in the consultation document were too low. After the consultation closed, we received a response from the Department confirming that no changes to the scheme will be enacted before 1 December 2014, and that DECC has received evidence which ‘consistently’ shows that the ‘illustrative scenarios presented generate tariffs that may not be sufficient’. As well as the announcement about the earliest possible date for tariff changes, the statement about the evidence the Department has received is significant – it is unusual for DECC to make this sort of early statement following a consultation.
© Chesterfield BioGas
Final decisions from government on the RHI biomethane tariff review are expected shortly. Our response – supported by information from a wide range of members – was submitted at the end of June and emphasises a number of points, including: • Modelling a waste-only plant does not reflect the development of the industry and will not maximise AD’s potential, either for wastes or other feedstocks; • Even the lower gate fee assumption used in the consultation (£25/t) is unrealistically high, especially over the 20 year lifespan of a project; • Tariffs should be based on tiering, not banding; • The need for DECC, once it has revised its assumptions, to test the proposed new tariffs and structures in developers’ own models to ensure they are viable, which we have offered to facilitate.
The letter states: “Feedback from industry, through consultation events, meetings and formal responses, has consistently raised the following points: • Gate fees for new waste contracts are not at the levels assumed in the consultation document; • Gate fees are not bankable for every project; • Feedstock costs in general for biomethane to grid installations vary widely, owing to different feedstock models. “As a result, the illustrative scenarios presented in the consultation generate tariffs that may not be sufficient to enable many projects to proceed. Although we cannot pre-empt our eventual conclusions, it is clear that we must consider such feedback (underpinned by robust evidence contributions) in our considerations over tariff levels and structures.” To read Greg Barker’s letter in full go to www.adbiogas.co.uk
ADBA pushes for clear waste policies Our Chief Executive, Charlotte Morton, appeared before the Greater London Authority Environment Committee in July for a discussion on waste collection services in the capital. Charlotte used the opportunity to call for clear, joined up policy between government at different levels, also emphasising the importance of good communication with residents about why waste segregation matters and how it is processed. Charlotte said: “Clarity on the desired long term objectives of waste management makes a big difference – residents need to understand what happens after the bin is collected, and the waste management and anaerobic digestion sectors need to understand what their clients want to achieve.”
Crop Best Practice guidance launched After a long period of development and negotiation, our Best Practice Guidance for growing crops for AD is published this month (September). Developed in conjunction with NFU, CLA, REA and NNFCC, the document acts as a practical guide to farmers to help them grow AD feedstocks in a way that enhances the environment and avoids ecological problems. Use of the guidance will help to demonstrate that the AD industry takes concerns over bioenergy sustainability seriously, as well as highlighting the wider agricultural benefits that well-managed crops grown for AD can bring to farm businesses. To download your free copy go to www.adbiogas.co.uk/resources/crop-best-practice-document
“Collaboration between local authorities, householders and businesses is vital to segregate unavoidable food waste, which in turn helps make the most of this valuable resource.”
www.adbiogas.co.uk
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ADBA News
What do you want from government in 2015?
Some of the first decisions that the next government will take will have an immediate impact on the AD industry. The 2015 FIT review has obvious implications, particularly for smaller scale developers, but the new administration’s first spending review should also set the RHI budget for 2016-2020, dictating the likely growth in biomethane projects and biogas heat. We have been working with other trade bodies on policies and messages to
gain support for renewable energy in general, as well as waste, and we are also working closely with our members to ensure that the benefits of AD specifically are heard by the widest possible audience. It is vital that our industry presents a strong voice for AD to get the support we need from the next government. To share your views, contact our new PR and Parliamentary Affairs Manager, Derek Sivyer E derek.sivyer@adbiogas.co.uk
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Regions
News from the regions GIB provides £6.5m funding for NI projects The Green Investment Bank (GIB) has announced £6.5m of funding for two on-farm AD plants in Northern Ireland. Expected to annually generate enough renewable energy to power 1,700 households, the two facilities, located in Cookstown, County Tyrone and Banbridge, County Down, will each produce 3,600 MWh gas per annum for the national grid, as well as digestate for use on local farms. Shaun Kingsbury, GIB Chief Executive, described the plants as “textbook examples of the types of project we should be seeing all across the UK,” adding: “It’s economically important, injecting £6.5m into the rural economy in Northern Ireland and generating 22 new jobs. It’s green, turning farm waste into renewable energy and fertiliser. And it’s good for the local farming community, earning and saving them money.” www.greeninvestmentbank.com
NI food waste landfill ban to go ahead Northern Ireland is to press ahead with introducing a landfill ban on source segregated food waste from April 2015, according to the country’s Department of Environment (DOE). As part of the proposed Food Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland), the landfilling and mixing of separately collected food waste will be prohibited from 1 April 2015. From April 2016, food businesses that produce more than 50kg of food waste per week will need to present it for separate collection; while from April 2017, councils will have to provide receptacles for every domestic property for the separate collection of food waste. The Department received 44 responses to its consultation on the proposals and says it has given detailed consideration to the dates for the provisions in the draft Regulations, stating: “The Department agrees with respondents who commented that small food waste producers will benefit from experience gained through earlier introduction with the large food waste producers. The regime underpinned by the Food Waste Regulations will encourage behavioural change to minimise the amount of food waste being deposited in residual bins.”
New Chair for Zero Waste Scotland Zero Waste Scotland has announced the appointment of Vic Emery as its first Chair, following the organisation’s transition to a new corporate structure. The resource efficiency body, responsible for the lead delivery of the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan, was previously part of WRAP but is now operating as a separate Scottish-registered company. Mr Emery, also currently Chair of the Scottish Police Authority, enthuses: “I’m delighted to be appointed the first Chair of Zero Waste Scotland. This is an organisation with a hugely important mission – achieving more efficient or ‘circular’ use of resources is a must-do for the long term health of our economy and our environment.” www.zerowastescotland.org.uk
www.gt-himmel.com
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Engaging local communities
Placing AD at the heart of the community
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he British public is strongly in favour of developing renewable technologies. In a recent DECC survey*, 80% of those questioned either support or strongly support the use of renewable energy for heat, electricity or fuel. However, 81% also believe that renewable energy developments should provide direct benefit to the communities in which they are located, perhaps explaining why broad support for renewables does not always translate into local support for a nearby AD plant. Engaging with the local community is therefore crucial to a project’s success, whether at the planning, development or operational stage, and could become increasingly significant for financial reasons, too.
People power
The importance of winning over the local community cannot be underestimated. Rob Greenow is a Director of BioG UK, which has twice been refused planning permission for a 500 kW on-farm AD plant in Staffordshire. Despite the company’s best efforts to engage with local residents, Rob found it difficult to change the community’s negative preconceptions of AD. “Before we’d had a chance to explain our proposal at a public meeting in the village hall, a number of residents had already raised objections with the local Rob Greenow of BioG UK has seen planners. The rumour mill just went into his AD project refused planning overdrive,” reveals Rob. “The Highways permission on two occasions Agency, Environment Agency and Natural England were in favour of our proposal but the local planning committee – which has minimal knowledge or experience of AD – chose to ignore this expert advice and side with the local opposition groups, twice refusing our development. We’ve now taken it to appeal, but have already been hit by one tariff drop. And as there are so few AD specialists at the National Planning Inspectorate, we’ll probably be hit by another by the time a final decision is reached, while costing the local council wasted expense if the appeal finds in our favour.” 8
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Work to win over the hearts and minds of local residents can pay dividends, however. The 2.4 MWe AD plant for G’s Marketing at Littleport in Cambridgeshire also faced opposition but was ultimately welcomed, following concerted efforts from Bidwells to dispel the myths surrounding AD. “We decided to make residents and the local media aware of our client’s plans before anyone else did, to ensure the facts were reported accurately from the outset, and held a residents’ day which attracted over 100 people,” explains Cath Anthony, Rural Surveyor. “Although it became quite heated at times, we managed to effectively communicate both the environmental and economic benefits of AD, including the creation of local jobs. The work we’d done to select the best site for the plant really paid off, too, as we could explain to residents how we’d taken issues such as traffic and local infrastructure into consideration already. They could see that this was a carefully considered proposal.”
Although it faced some initial opposition, G’s Marketing’s AD plant was largely welcomed by the local community
* DECC Public attitudes tracking survey: wave 9 (http://bit.ly/1hMeRIg)
www.adbiogas.co.uk
Engaging local communities
Bidwells held a residents’ day to highlight the facts surrounding AD and unveil the proposed plant for G’s Marketing The most successful AD operators continue to engage with the local community beyond the commissioning phase; staff at Kirk Environmental donate food to a local food bank
Early engagement
Getting the facts in first is a crucial strategy in helping a project succeed. “AD is an unfamiliar technology to most people and unfamiliarity causes concern,” states Rebekah Shepherd, Account Director for communications consultants Remarkable Group. “Communities can often feel like the AD developer is getting rich quick while local residents suffer, so early communication of the facts is essential if an AD project is to be welcomed into a community. Any delay could lead people to conduct their own research into AD, uncovering a variety of misconceptions as a result.” Rebekah has the following tips to help developers win the trust of local residents: “Alongside communicating early, the key is to know your audience; different stakeholders will respond to different approaches, and potentially different information, so use a range of communication tactics, such as a presentation in the village hall; one to one meetings; newsletters; interaction with local media; and even knocking on doors. Explain the ‘risks’ in real terms – for instance, comparing the hum from a CHP engine to a domestic vacuum cleaner can allay a fear of increased noise. Finally, don’t forget the power of social media. Monitor social media channels so that you see what people are saying and, if necessary, swiftly respond to unfounded rumours and misinformation.”
Good neighbours
As one of the UK’s largest AD operators, Tamar Energy is well aware of the importance of being a good neighbour. “AD is still little known in the UK and we expect people to have questions and concerns about a technology that is new to them being deployed relatively close to where they live,” reveals Tony Wilson, Director of Business Development, Construction and Engineering. “We take local community feedback into account where possible, from routing construction traffic through longer site approaches to minimise disruption, to increased site screening or extra odour control measures, above and beyond what is required to meet the stringent permitting requirements. Developing a commercial scale AD facility is a long term, significant capital investment, and the local community is an important stakeholder group. Our commitment to being a good neighbour runs throughout the lifetime of the project and we work hard to share information, present the facts, and listen to feedback at every stage,” concludes Tony. As Tony points out, maintaining a good relationship with local residents extends beyond the planning phase and many AD operators take an active role in their community long after a plant has been commissioned. Kirk Environmental is currently supporting a local food bank appeal, with staff donating pasta and sauces for over 200 local families in need, for example.
Doncaster-based ReFood, meanwhile, provided funding to support nearby Austerfield Study Centre, an environmental education resource. “We’ve always prided ourselves on having a nationwide reach whilst maintaining very close ties to the local area,” comments Philip Simpson, Commercial Director. “The Austerfield Centre is a vital asset to the children and families of Doncaster and we are delighted to support their efforts in securing its long term future.”
Community funding
While engaging with the community can pay dividends at the planning and operational stages, local residents could soon be helping to finance AD plants, too. Following DECC's Community Energy Strategy, a consultation has recently been held on shared ownership proposals for renewable energy installations costing above £2.5m and which export energy to a public network. And the Secretary of State has been clear that DECC would seek to legislate for the right for communities to ‘buy in’ to development if voluntary proposals are not forthcoming. Although the proposals only call for the offer to be made – not that the community has to own a proportion of a project for it to go ahead – interest in community AD is growing. Villagers living close to Fre-energy’s Lodge Farm AD facility, near Wrexham, have recently expressed Fre-energy’s Richard Tomlinson considerable interest in procuring the energy has received considerable for their domestic consumption. In fact, such interest from residents keen has been the volume and nature of enquiries to procure energy from his Wrexham AD plant received by the company that it anticipates that many future projects will be at least part-funded by the public. Richard Tomlinson, Managing Director and fifth-generation family farmer, believes we are on the cusp of a national community-funded energy platform: “People are fed up with ever escalating energy costs and are looking for alternative sources to fossil fuel based supplies. It will only be a matter of time before we see our first community AD programme.” The Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) funded by DECC and Defra supports rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects that provide economic and social benefits to the community. Of the 36 RCEF projects currently being supported, a number are for AD, including the Sustainable Energy Eden (SEE) initiative in the Cumbrian village of Kirkby Thore. The village is investigating the potential for a community owned AD Continued>>
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Technology focus: Digestate
tim.elsome@fmbioenergy.co.uk david.gabbott@fmbioenergy.co.uk
www.fmbioenergy.co.uk
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Engaging local communities plant, working in partnership with several local farms to process farm waste and other feedstock. “This is a really innovative area of the AD market,” believes David Rogers, Programme Area Manager for WRAP, which is administering the RCEF on behalf of the government. “Community scale AD is proving a popular option. Communities see the benefits of local owned energy generation and appear keen to invest in renewable energy projects through local community share issues.” Ed Cattigan of Biogas Power Ltd explained how AD works at an open meeting of Kirkby Thore residents earlier this year. Ed also outlined how AD could provide cheaper heat for local facilities such as schools, and how it could create an income stream for community projects. There would also be benefits for local farmers through a guaranteed long term revenue stream. “SEE was set up as a not-for-profit organisation Ed Cattigan of Biogas Power Ltd which would trade to benefit the community gives a presentation on AD to a through generating renewable energy,” says group of Kirkby Thore residents Barry Thompson, Chair of SEE. “We were delighted to be amongst the first five to secure RCEF funding, enabling us to carry out an initial feasibility study into the potential for AD in the Parish.”
Emerald Biogas’ Waste Warriors campaign has helped raise awareness of AD among local children
as Rich Clothier, Managing Director, explains: “With the new Visitor Centre we want to show the next generation how they can become even greener and more sustainable than we are.” Other UK AD & Biogas Industry Award winners included Emerald Biogas and Edina Group, who were named Best Merchant Waste AD Project. Based in Newton Aycliffe, the North East’s first biogas plant processes feedstock from a number of local schools and has developed strong relationships with children across the region, thanks to its campaign, ‘Waste Warriors: Food for Thought’. “We work with pupils to help them understand the growing impact of food waste disposal and the environmentally friendly solutions that are available,” says Adam Warren, Director of Emerald Biogas.
The award-winning Wyke Farms team
Tomorrow’s world
A number of the winners at this year’s UK AD & Biogas Industry Awards were recognised for their community initiatives, in particular their work to engage the next generation. One such company is Wyke Farms, which won both the Best Food and Drink Industry AD Project, and the AD Wyke Farms works hard to engage the Hero of the Year (see p14 for full details). younger generation and invited local To celebrate the launch of its on-site children to create decorations for the AD plant in 2013, local schoolchildren launch of its on-site AD plant were invited to ‘think green’ and create decorations for the event, with some also receiving a tour of the plant and a lesson in sustainable farming. “Wyke Farms is on our doorstep and we are all part of the same community so it’s lovely to be involved,” said local teacher, Tara Hart. Wyke Farms has also opened a Green Visitor Centre, Wyke Farms’ Sustainable Energy Visitor Centre; teaching the next generation to be green
Like Emerald, Malaby Biogas’ engagement with the local community has also resulted in new feedstock contracts. Its ‘Direct to AD’ scheme is an innovative food waste collection system that makes it easy for small, rural businesses to send their food Engaging with the local community has brought waste for treatment at the in additional feedstock streams for Malaby Biogas, company’s Bore Hill Farm including food waste from local schools Biodigester in Warminster, Wiltshire. Clients include local farm shops, restaurants, pubs and schools. “Twice a week, our filled buckets are collected and replaced with fresh ones and we are in regular communication with Malaby about any issues that may arise,” says Caroline Wheatley-Hubbard, owner of the Ginger Piggery. “Communication is key, as is keeping the service local and personal.”
Urban energy
And it’s not just rural communities embracing AD. The Urban Community Energy Fund – a sister programme to RCEF – is being rolled out shortly, and WRAP has already funded one such project in London; Community By Design’s LEAP (Local Energy Adventure Partnership) micro AD project, which sees food waste from local hotels, restaurants and canteens collected by bicycle and fed to a 2m3 community digester, located at Camley Street Natural Park, near Kings Cross. As the site overlooks a canal, possibilities for food waste collection from residential houseboats and neighbouring businesses are also being explored. The biogas is used as a portable fuel for cooking and water heating, while the digestate is used on-site to support food growing and a low cost hydroponics Continued>>
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Engaging local communities Get involved Members are invited to submit copy for the following planned features. E kate.oreilly@adbiogas.co.uk Issue 24 (November) Spotlight on biomethane – why upgrading to biomethane for use as a transport fuel or for injection into the grid is growing in popularity. Deadline: 12 September Issue 25 (February) AD in the food and drink sector Deadline: 21 November Community AD is also taking off in urban areas, such as the LEAP micro AD project in London’s Kings Cross
trial. “This project works on many levels and we jumped at being able to support it,” says Stefan Geyer, Manager of the nearby St Athans Hotel, which supplies food waste to the digester. “It should be the model for every local area.” Interest in community AD projects in both rural and urban environments is growing fast. And with the government’s shared ownership proposals gaining momentum, it may just be a matter of time until engaging with local residents becomes essential for AD success – not just during the planning and operational stages of a project, but when securing finance, too.
To find out more about the RCEF go to www.wrap.org.uk/content/rural-community-energy-fund To read the government’s shared ownership proposals on renewable energy installations go to http://bit.ly/1rTkj20 www.biog-uk.co.uk www.bidwells.co.uk www.remarkablegroup.co.uk www.tamar-energy.com www.kirk-environmental.co.uk www.refood.co.uk www.emeraldbiogas.com www.edina.eu www.malabybiogas.com www.fre-energy.co.uk www.wrap.org.uk www.biogaspower.co.uk
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david@agbag.co.uk
www.agbag.co.uk
Government & Agency News RCEF invigorates first wave of community projects More than 30 local renewable energy projects, including community scale AD, have become the first recipients of the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF). The £15m programme, jointly funded by Defra and DECC and administered by WRAP, provides up to £150,000 for feasibility and pre-planning development work. www.wrap.org.uk/content/rural-community-energy-fund See feature on p8, 'Engaging local communities’
Ed Davey dubs 2013 a ‘record year’ for renewables Ed Davey, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, has called 2013 a ‘record year’ for renewables, with renewable electricity generation increasing 30% on the previous year. This follows the release of DECC’s latest Digest of UK Energy Statistics, which gives comprehensive statistics across the UK energy sector for 2013. The figures show an excellent year for AD, with generation outside the sewage sector growing by 208 GWh to 707 GWh (a 42% increase on the previous year). The sewage sector remained relatively stable for electricity generation at 761 GWh, although there is still capacity for increases in this sector in the future. The electrical capacity for AD plants by the close of 2013 was 150 MW outside of the water sector (a 32 MW increase), and 198 MW in the water sector (a small decrease).
Free digestate advice from WRAP As part of its practical advice for farmers and agronomists, WRAP has launched a video highlighting the benefits of digestate, including a tour of AD plant technology; advice on nutrient management plans; cost management; and tips on application timings and techniques. “WRAP field experiments found that crop yields were greater when grown using a combination of anaerobic digestate and fertiliser than for crops grown using standard fertilisers alone,” confirms Ian Wardle, Head of Organics Programme at WRAP. “Combined with the fertiliser savings, the increased yields could deliver an additional £300 per hectare.” www.wrap.org.uk/content/using-digestate-biofertiliser
To view the key graphs from the report, go to the market analysis page at www.adbiogas.co.uk
Task Force identifies huge feedstock potential for AD In its report ‘Wasted Opportunities’, the Circular Economy Task Force reveals that outdated recycling systems are losing the UK economy £1.7bn in wasted plastics, electronics and food. It estimates untapped potential earnings of £140m pa if the UK were to convert all biodegradable waste currently going to landfill to biogas through AD, and suggests that current levels of biodegradable waste produced could feed 500 AD plants. http://bit.ly/1uq6dqP
New Chair for NAWDO The National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO) welcomes Steve Palfrey, Head of Waste for Suffolk County Council and former LARAC board member, as its new Chair. “I would like to thank our outgoing Chair, John Woodruff, who led the Association for four years and through some challenging times – he will be a hard act to follow,” comments Steve. www.nawdo.org
www.adbiogas.co.uk
sales@acp-concrete.co.uk www.acp-concrete.co.uk september 2014 | AD & Biogas News
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UK AD & Biogas 2014 Awards Review Award winners highlight strength and breadth of UK’s AD industry
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he who’s who of the AD industry descended on the NEC, Birmingham on the evening of 2 July for the UK AD & Biogas Industry Awards 2014: the biggest night in the AD calendar.
Hosted by Charlotte Smith, presenter of BBC Radio 4 programme Farming Today, the black-tie event began with a networking drinks reception, sponsored by MT-Energie. Guests were then treated to a three-course meal followed by entertainment from stand-up comedian Sindhu Vee, before the award winners were revealed. Showcasing excellence and innovation from every corner of the AD industry, this year’s shortlist was the strongest in the event’s three-year history, presenting our judging panel with some difficult decisions. Congratulating the award winners, our Chief Executive, Charlotte Morton, said: “The huge number of quality entries received this year demonstrated the sheer grit and determination of the AD industry to keep innovating and improving. Set against a challenging policy background for renewables, the anaerobic digestion industry has continued to fight for the recognition it deserves, resulting in some tough decisions for the judges and a superb set of winners.” “Winning this award confirms that we are
the go-to company for biogas upgrading.”
Sarah Farr, Edina Winner – Best merchant waste AD project
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AD & Biogas News | september 2014
Nigel Horan, Council Member and Secretary, SORP; Director, Aqua Enviro Claire Kneller, Business Development Manager, WRAP Roy Hathaway, Consultant, Environmental Services Association Bruce Nelson, Director, Compass Renewables Ulla Kepp, Director, Patrick Nolan Consulting Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive, ADBA (non-voting chair)
“We are delighted to have won this award for what is the largest on-farm AD plant in the UK.” Mat Stewart, Tamar Energy Winner – Best on-farm AD project
John Bass, Chesterfield BioGas Winner – Making the most of biogas
“As a founder member of ADBA, we’ve seen first-hand the rise and rise of both the Association and the UK AD industry. To be recognised by our peers – all experts in their field – is especially rewarding.”
The judges
“We are very pleased to receive the award and inform the marketplace about the benefits of combined effluent treatment and organic solids digestion.” Brian Scheffe, Nijhuis H2OK Winner – Innovation in process efficiency/optimisation
www.adbiogas.co.uk
UK AD & Biogas 2014 Awards Review Innovation in sewage treatment through AD
Innovation in food waste collection
Winner – Severn Trent Water and NMC Nomenca The judges were impressed with the winners’ innovative solution to bring together two existing technologies at the Stoke Bardolph STW to produce renewable energy and digestate from the digestion of sludge and trade waste. They dubbed this approach a ‘brave step’ and believe it has the potential to be an ‘industry game changer’.
Winner – Olleco Innovation in every aspect of its business saw Olleco stand out in this category. Tailoring its service to fit a range of clients through bespoke bin and collection options has led to a dramatic rise in food waste collection, proving that, as ever, communication is key to success. Highly commended: ReFood
Making the most of digestate
Making the most of biogas Sponsored by
Winner – Monsal With digestate the number one issue for AD success, Monsal’s development of a digestate dewatering solution has resulted in a product that is easier to handle and competes well against other commercial options, including inorganic fertilisers. The judges were also keen to point out that Monsal’s solution would have been particularly beneficial during the recent floods.
Winner – Chesterfield BioGas With increasing recognition of the value of gas to grid, and of biomethane as a vehicle fuel, innovation in biogas upgrading is under the spotlight now more than ever before. Chesterfield BioGas impressed the judges with its proven water-wash technology, which has recently been improved with the use of an H2S biofilter, combined efficiently with siloxane and VOC removal by activated carbon.
Best on-farm AD project
Best food and drink industry AD project
Winner – Sutton Grange Anaerobic Digestion and Tamar Energy Extremely energy efficient thanks in part to the recovery of heat for use in Xergi’s innovative NiX system – which allows the plant to use increased amounts of chicken manure – judges also praised the project for being particularly environmentally sensitive. Highly commended: Shropshire Biogas, Edina Group and PROjEN
Winner – Wyke Farms Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese maker and milk processor, follows an integrated sustainability plan known as ‘100% Green’. Its on-site AD plant ensures that a wide range of waste products are used to both power the farm and provide digestate for Wyke and other local farmers. The judges were particularly impressed with the company’s commitment to self-sufficiency.
Best small scale AD project (sub 250 kW) Winner – Clearfleau Clearfleau’s on-site AD plant for Nestlé handles residues generated in the production of confectionery products, including wash-waters previously discharged to sewer. The liquid digestion process is designed to optimise methanogenic performance, and hence biogas output, and is a prime example of the benefits that on-site AD can bring to food and beverage producers. Highly commended: LEAP Micro AD
AD hero/team of the year Sponsored by Winner – Wyke Farms The judges dubbed Wyke Farms an ‘exemplar company in achieving energy neutrality’ and praised the commitment and leadership of Managing Director Rich Clothier. An inspiration in how to become sustainable, Wyke Farms has helped to raise awareness of AD to the wider community. Highly commended: ENA Biomethane Campaign
www.adbiogas.co.uk
Innovation in process efficiency/ optimisation Sponsored by Winner – Nijhuis H2OK The Aecomix TM technology is an innovative anaerobic reactor with solids retention, particularly suited to treating effluents from food and beverage production plants, and helped Nijhuis H2OK stand out in a highly competitive category. The judges cited the winner's ‘innovative separation of liquids and solids’ in an area in which few solutions exist as one of the key factors in their decision.
Best supporting service Winner – RUR3 Environmental The judges praised RUR3 Environmental for providing a ‘very different’ food waste collection service. Working with local authorities, food waste producers and the waste industry to provide the country’s AD plants with quality, local feedstock, RUR3 schedules loads and records actual tonnage inputs to monitor feedstock and maintain the optimum biological and financial stability for each plant. The judging panel was also impressed with the company’s focus on reducing contamination.
Best merchant waste AD project Sponsored by Winner – Emerald Biogas and Edina Group Using an engine, generators and associated equipment from Edina, heat from the North East’s first AD plant is fed into the neighbouring business park and farming community. It is this vision of operating as part of the community – rather than separate from it – which helped the project to stand out in this competitive field. The judging panel was especially keen to praise Emerald’s school food waste collection schemes and educational programmes for local children.
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UK AD & Biogas 2014 Show Review
Raising industry standards
Improving operational performance was the theme of UK AD & Biogas 2014, the only UK trade show dedicated exclusively to anaerobic digestion (AD). With AD in the UK now a well-established and thriving industry, the focus is not just on increasing AD capacity but also nurturing a safe, responsible and efficient sector. Raising industry standards and performance across the board is essential if AD is to continue to attract the funding it needs to reach its full potential. Against this backdrop, a record number of attendees and exhibitors converged at the NEC, Birmingham on 2-3 July for ADBA’s fifth annual trade show. More than 245 exhibitors, representing every facet of the industry, filled the show floor with bigger, better and brighter stands than ever before, bringing with them an impressive array of live kit – see p18 for our round-up of the exhibition’s highlights. “We received a high percentage of very interesting and very specific potential leads,” said Barry Steele of Jones Celtic BioEnergy, who launched their joint venture partnership with Schmack Biogas at the show. “It’s a great event at which to meet a wide variety of people in one go, and also allows visitors to compare us against our peers.” Unsurprisingly, 87% of exhibitors surveyed rated the show as good to excellent, and an astounding 51% of stand space has already been booked forattendees next year’s event. at
UK AD & Biogas 2013
Visitors to UK AD & Biogas 2014 were just as impressed, with 90% of those surveyed rating the event as good to excellent. Representing a diverse range of sectors, including food and drink, farming, waste management, academia, local authorities, the water sector and manufacturing, there really was something for everyone. And for fleet managers or those interested in the use of biomethane as a vehicle fuel, our dedicated biomethane vehicle area proved a popular addition to the show line-up. “UK AD & Biogas is an absolute must for anyone involved in the industry, from supplier to end user,” commented Nigel Fisher, National Business Development Manager for Galliford Try. Our AD Market Update, published at the show, reflected recent growth in the market. Including key data – such as market growth in terms of capacity, as well as numbers of AD plants; future market development with current data from the national planning database; and breakdown by feedstock types – the update also demonstrated the ongoing potential of the sector. “In the four years since our 16
AD & Biogas News | september 2014
first trade show, the anaerobic digestion sector has seen unprecedented growth,” commented Charlotte Morton, ADBA’s Chief Executive. “In that time, over a hundred new AD plants have opened, more than trebling the number outside the water sector, delivering over 150 MW of capacity to generate ultra low carbon, storable, baseload, flexible renewable gas, as well as saving well over five million tonnes of CO2, recycling nutrients essential to food production and creating jobs. Our members have delivered a very significant contribution to green growth in challenging conditions, of which they should be very proud.”
Industry experts air their views
Alongside the bustling exhibition, UK AD & Biogas 2014 also hosted a packed conference and seminar programme, filled with expert speakers from government, NGOs, leading universities, trade bodies, and companies at the heart of the AD industry. The first day’s conference, focusing on AD’s place in the bio-economy, was opened by our Chief Executive Charlotte Morton, who delivered a positive overview of industry growth and performance, suggesting that a figure of 500 MW of AD capacity was possible by 2019. Charlotte was followed by our Strategic Advisor, Chris Huhne, who considered the benefits of AD in the renewable energy mix, citing its flexibility and storability – as well as the nutrient retention benefits of digestate – as AD’s biggest attractions. Focus then shifted to the financial climate. Richard Nuttall, Business Development Manager for Clydesdale & Yorkshire Bank, spoke about the importance of operational performance for investment, and explained why a strong management team, with experience of delivering a project on time and on budget, is crucial for funders.
www.adbiogas.co.uk
UK AD & Biogas 2014 Show Review “Dynamic, informative and full of practical tips.”
“Manic – our stand was three-deep with visitors!”
“Having a bigger stand and bringing along a full-scale exhibit definitely helped to attract larger crowds.”
Gareth Burton, Assure UK
Peter McIntyre, Tamar Energy
Adam Ricketts, SEaB Energy
R&D takes centre stage A brand new show feature, our R&D Hub proved extremely popular with visitors to UK AD & Biogas 2014. Acting as a focal point for anyone interested in exploring the latest AD research and development, the Hub incorporated one-to-one advice clinics, a soapbox speaker programme, and invaluable networking sessions, helping to bridge the gap between academia and industry. “I thought the stand looked great and the soapbox idea was clever – I can see a lot of hard work had gone into the design and the speaker selection,” said Merlin Goldman, Lead Technologist for the Technology Strategy Board.
Free one-to-one advice clinics This year our popular one-to-one advice clinics returned to the show floor offering free advice to help with all of the key aspects of an AD project. The advice on offer included a booth manned by the consultants who deliver ADBA’s Farmers’ Consultancy Service, who comprise an expert panel of ADBA members including Bidwells, Farm Renewables, JH Walter, Laurence Gould and PROjEN; ADBA’s finance specialists, Compass Renewables; and our selection of pop-up clinics. These pop-up clinics offered advice on a wide range of topics, including: AD for local authorities; sending food waste to AD; sourcing feedstock; planning; environmental permitting with the EA; legal contracts; applying for RHI or FIT direct from Ofgem; advice on the Biomethane Certification Scheme from Green Gas Trading; the WRAP On-farm AD Fund, and much more.
“All the major players are here, showing that there’s real faith in the UK AD market.”
“The show is absolutely buzzing.”
Ian Brierley, Borger
Meurig Raymond, President, NFU
The development of the waste market was the first topic for the afternoon session, with Dustin Benton of the Green Alliance leading a strong panel debate on how to drive the best use of resources and increase feedstock availability. This followed a declaration by Eunomia’s Harriet Parke that the industry is now at ‘tipping point’, with more AD capacity than there is available feedstock. ADBA’s Policy Manager, Matt Hindle, said the key question is what leadership the industry will see from government: “Food waste is on the political agenda, and the outcome of next year’s election could have a huge impact on the AD industry: will England follow Wales and Scotland in giving a stronger legislative drive to source segregation?” The first day’s conference then concluded with a lively debate on the future of small scale AD on farms. Day two of the conference programme saw attention turn towards the importance of operational performance, with an opening speech by Tamar Energy’s Director of Operations, Mat Stewart. A panel session led by Monsal’s Dorian Harrison on ‘Driving AD best practice’ followed, featuring statistics from Ursula Kepp on operational performance in Germany’s AD sector – which currently outperforms our own – as well as advice from Local Generation’s Neil Hunter. The afternoon sessions considered the market for digestate, new digestate products, and how operators can best prepare for digestate storage and application. WRAP’s Richard Swannell warned delegates that over-reliance on agriculture as a market for digestate is a risk, and that market diversification is essential, while Alexander Maddan of Agrivert warned that the biggest challenges regarding digestate are plastics contamination, odour, storage, and the weather. Running alongside this comprehensive conference programme were two full days of seminars, across two theatres. Sessions proved extremely popular, with
many standing-room only as crowds gathered to hear the latest developments on topics such as biogas upgrading, digestate technology, sustainability criteria, AD in the food and drink sector, AD in the water sector, and planning and public engagement. In addition, visitors were given the opportunity to join a site tour to Barrett’s Mill Anaerobic Digester (BMAD), Evergreen Gas’ 7 kW plant located in Ludlow, Shropshire, providing a valuable and informative insight into an innovative working AD plant.
Book now for 2015 Such was the buzz following UK AD & Biogas 2014, that a huge number of companies have already booked for next year. The show is set to be 15% bigger and over half of the floorplan has already been taken by companies including FLI Energy, Schmack Biogas, MT-Energie, Agraferm, BTS Biogas and Xergi. In addition, Edina has snapped up our headline sponsorship package, as well as sponsoring the ever-popular Edina Café for the third year in a row.
Don’t miss out!
Secure your prime stand location or sponsorship package today. Contact: E jamil.ahad@adbiogas.co.uk T +44 (0)203 176 4414 E rachel.fenton@adbiogas.co.uk T +44 (0)203 176 5418
www.adbiogas.co.uk
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UK AD & Biogas 2014 Show Highlights
FM BioEnergy launched a novel biological ensiling agent for energy crops at the show – SILASIL ENERGY XD. The silage additive “incorporates a unique combination of bacteria to dramatically shorten ripening periods, provide stability and reduce losses,” said Business Development Manager Tim Elsome. www.fmbioenergy.co.uk
UK AD & Biogas 2014 GE Water & Process saw GE announce that it Technologies welcome has acquired Monsal. Monsal to the GE family “GE’s global expertise and reach in the municipal and industrial water treatment industry is world class and is very complementary to Monsal’s advanced digestion capabilities and our overall strategy for international expansion,” said Aidan Cumiskey, Managing Director, Monsal. “Joining the GE family will allow Monsal to bring our technologies to a significantly broader audience as well as give us R&D capabilities at a much larger scale than we have now. We expect to expand our product and technology range with the GE resource, so that we become the ‘go-to’ company globally for anaerobic digestion.” www.monsal.com The other big news was Capita’s acquisition of PROjEN. Martin Seabrook, Managing Director of PROjEN, said: “We are delighted and excited to be joining Capita. Working as part of a major consultancy will allow us to invest in the future growth of our business, further develop our staff, and expand our capabilities into new markets – as well as giving our clients access to the skills and transformational expertise of a market-leading business.” www.projen.co.uk
UK AD & Biogas 2014 highlights One of the largest exhibits on display, the Cesaro Tiger food waste depackaging system from Blue Group provides effective separation and processing of organic waste from food waste collection or expired packaged foodstuff. The compact system separates plastic and processed packaging using a wet or dry process in order to remove the organic fraction for secondary processing. Easy height adjustment and side loading options make the unit highly versatile. www.bluegroup.co.uk
Visitors to the Imtech stand tried out the company’s 3D plant simulation facility. The walk-through BIM (Building Information Modelling) system gives customers the opportunity to visualise their asset before it is built. www.imtech.co.uk Huber received a number of new enquiries relating to the company’s digestate dewatering technology. Visitors were particularly keen to find out more about the Rotamat Screw Press RoS 3Q trial unit, which offers high dewatering performance with low energy demand. www.huber.co.uk 18
AD & Biogas News | september 2014
www.adbiogas.co.uk
UK AD & Biogas 2014 Show Highlights Visitors to Lipp Systems’ stand were keen to find out more about its unique Spiral Seamed Tank (SST) system. Andrew Shedden, Sales Director for Lipp Systems in the UK, commented: “A number of visitors expressed concerns over the durability of concrete and bolted steel tank designs and were looking for a proven, credible alternative. We took solid enquiries for 30 tanks and we will be making sure that our clients have the most cost effective solution, ensuring the future profitability and sustainability of the industry.” www.lipp-system.co.uk Following their successful dry fermentation project for Fife City Council, Schmack Biogas and Jones Celtic BioEnergy saw the show as the ideal platform to officially announce their joint venture partnership. “We received a high percentage of very interesting and very specific leads during the two days,” revealed Barry Steele of Jones Celtic BioEnergy. www.schmack-biogas.com www.joneseng.com/services/bioenergy
The first day on Tamar Energy’s stand was nothing short of “manic” according to Feedstock Manager Peter McIntyre. “At times, visitors were three-deep! We received a good spread of enquiries ranging from feedstock to technical, engineering and joint ventures.” www.tamar-energy.com
Landia took the opportunity to promote its fast growing Maintenance Service at UK AD & Biogas 2014. Headed by Will Bretherton, Landia’s Maintenance & Planning Engineer, the service is designed to provide fast, effective, on-site support from qualified Landia engineers, with OEM parts available from stock (pictured). “It’s surprising how many AD operators can still leave themselves wide open to costly downtime, with parts from some suppliers taking weeks to arrive,” said Will. “We enjoyed yet another excellent ADBA show and received a very healthy response to our Maintenance Service and GasMix System.” www.landia.co.uk North-Tec Biogas highlighted its process control technology, NT PowerPro, at the show. The system’s features include the ability to monitor and schedule all pumping, substrate infeed and separation processes, as well as extensive error reporting. In addition, every process is visualised in user-friendly diagrams and the software is connected to an online database, also accessible via iPhone. “We used to send technicians to AD plants for parameter adjustment and diagnosis but we can now do it from our control room in Germany, saving valuable time and costs,” explained Kevin Mischker. www.north-tec.de SEaB Energy showcased its new 20 foot FLEXIBUSTER containerised energy generator for the first time. The small scale AD provider also invited onto its stand new manufacturing partner G3 Systems and UK reseller Mosscliff Environmental Services. “The footfall on our stand this year was the best ever, which we put down to the increased demand for on-site small scale solutions and the overall acceptance that AD is now one of the most efficient ways of turning waste into energy,” said Chief Executive Sandra Sassow. “Consequently, we ended the show with over a dozen strong expressions of interest; over half of which we expect to turn into firm orders over the coming months.” www.seabenergy.com www.adbiogas.co.uk
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UK AD & Biogas 2014 Show Highlights Chevron was delighted to be able to raise awareness of its oil analysis programme, LubeWatch, which allows customers to regularly track the performance of equipment, helping to optimise equipment life and oil replacement intervals. As well as identifying the lubricant-related needs of specific equipment, the confidential web-based system also provides a fuller picture of the changing environment within the equipment, allowing for precise scheduling of maintenance work and failure prevention. As a first-time exhibitor, Paul Nadin-Salter, Power Generation Co-Ordinator – Europe, for Chevron, commented: “We were extremely pleased both with the level of interest in our offer and the diverse range of people we spoke to, and it was gratifying to showcase both our products and our range of services to a new and educated audience.” www.chevron.com
CSO Technik’s stand incorporated a demonstration model of the Lackeby Roto-Sieve, used for solids/liquid separation, and a cut-away model of the Lackeby Heat Exchanger. Its ‘Terminodour vs smelly cheese’ challenge, meanwhile, aptly highlighted the capability of CSO’s Terminodour odour control system. The company also demonstrated its biogas desulphurisation system, which includes both wet biological systems and dry polishing systems, for the removal of H2S and VOCs. “We were again delighted at the number and quality of leads generated from the show, which goes from strength to strength every year,” said Chief Executive Colin Froud. www.csotechnik.com ENER-G promoted its CHP unit at the show, which is rated at 529 kWe for biogas applications and can be de-rated to 499 kWe to gain the higher FIT rate. The company is in the process of building four such units for biogas applications in the on-farm and food AD sectors, due to be commissioned later this year, and provides a complete outsourced AD service including design, installation, operation and even financing, meaning no upfront cost or financial risk. ENER-G recovers its investment by sharing savings with the client over the contract period. www.energ-group.com
www.jonesmcgirr.com
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www.adbiogas.co.uk
enquiries@greencrop.co.uk
www.greencrop.co.uk
martin@gtsnitrogenservices.co.uk richard@gtsnitrogenservices.co.uk djw@gtsmaintenance.co.uk eddie@gtsmaintenance.co.uk shane@gtsmaintenance.co.uk
UK AD & Biogas 2014 Show Highlights
www.adbiogas.co.uk
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GasMix
TM
The Anaerobic Digester Mixing System Designed specifically for biogas plants
INCREASED METHANE PRODUCTION IMPROVED DIGESTER MIXING EFFICIENCY IMPROVED HEALTH AND SAFETY CONDITIONS Landia’s GasMix™ systems are ideally applied in anaerobic digesters containing crops, manure, food waste, organic household waste, sludge from wastewater treatment plants, and any other waste or sludge containing decomposable organic material.
Tel: 01948 661 200 info@landia.co.uk www.landia.co.uk
Landia (UK) Ltd. Waymills Industrial Estate, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1TT
www.landia.co.uk/mixers/gasmix
sales@geotech.co.uk 22
AD & Biogas News | september 2014
www.adbiogas.co.uk
www.geotechuk.com
Technology Focus: Measuring & controls
Process control equals AD success Dorian Harrison, Technical Director for Monsal, explains why running an efficient digester is crucial to a profitable AD operation. “Ask yourself an honest question. Do you know how efficient your digester is? Digesters are not mechanical machines that always behave in the same way; they vary with feed, temperature, mixing, operation and any number of other factors. How well a digester performs makes a huge difference in revenue – for example, an efficient digester will generate circa 500 kWe for every 10,000 tonnes of food waste processed, whilst an inefficient one will generate less than 400 kWe. So how can an operator ensure efficient AD operation? Firstly, by monitoring the process. As a bare minimum, energy conversion, volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration, bicarbonate alkalinity (BA), methane quality and pH levels should all be measured regularly. BA – the difference between total alkalinity and VFAs – represents the reserve of alkalinity in the digester and is the buffer for volatile acid production, and is therefore critical. Methane concentration and pH are simple daily checks that will flag up any problems that may have been missed. If the pH or methane drops suddenly, reduce the loading slightly and investigate. Testing should be carried out regularly (at least twice per digester retention time), so that trends can be identified over time – use the data to set performance benchmarks so that performance can be continuously improved. There are some interesting online instruments being developed that promise real time monitoring and trending of VFA, pH and alkalinity, but on site analysis or external laboratory analysis is sufficient and relatively cheap.
any changes. Monitor performance before and after any change and quantify the benefit. Ultimately, as the AD industry matures it will become more competitive and a plant operating at high efficiency will have a significant commercial advantage over one that is not. Monitoring the process is a small price to pay for commercial success.”
Motor control centre manufactured by GPS for the Thames Water THP plant at Beckton
ADBA members driving up industry standards
In response to increasing pressure on build times, process control specialist GPS has formed a strategic partnership with M&E engineers FSD, offering integrated equipment build and installation services for AD developers and technology providers. This integrated approach aims to achieve ‘right first time’ on site, reducing installation and management time under a single contract. The partnership agreement will see GPS supply control panels, motor control centres and systems integration, with FSD providing cabling and associated mechanical work for power distribution, instrumentation and controls. GPS is currently working on a number of AD projects,
Meanwhile, a new biogas analyser from Hitech Instruments, part of Eaton’s Crouse-Hinds division, promises to deliver reliable and accurate measurement of up to six gases while requiring minimal maintenance, enabling operators to reduce downtime and improve processes. “With more than 30 years’ experience in gas analysis, our team has developed the MTL GIR6000, a high performance, fit-and-forget solution, which enables process managers and engineers to increase uptime with low cost of ownership,” says Iain Gordon, Gas Analysis Product Line Manager. As a result, service engineer site visits are largely avoided thanks to the guidance of the built-in self diagnostic routines and pre-configured intelligent sensor modules. Gases analysed by the MTL GIR6000 include oxygen (O2), methane (CH4) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S), the latter of which can cause particular problems for CHP engines if left to build up. When biogas is burnt in a CHP unit to produce electricity, H2S converts to sulphuric acid that can quickly cause engine corrosion. And as the concentration of H2S in biogas can reach levels as high as 3,000ppm, keeping it under control is essential.
Next, let’s look at conversion, sometimes measured using volatile solids and sometimes using chemical oxygen demand (COD). Without this, an operator has no idea how efficient the digester is. Sample the raw feed coming into the plant, and every output stream, at least twice per digester retention time. To gauge the plant’s efficiency, calculate the average mass of COD converted in the digester and divide by the mass coming in. Once you know how stable and efficient your digester is, the process can then be optimised. Setting benchmarks and Key Performance Indicators in line with best practice will allow you to monitor the success (or otherwise) of
including Tamar Energy’s Hoddesdon plant on behalf of Imtech.
The MTL GIR6000 biogas analyser from Hitech Instruments monitors up to six gases www.adbiogas.co.uk
At the Cory Environmental AD plant in Weston-super-Mare, a micro-biological desulphurisation system – a collaboration between Uniflare and Allison Engineering – has enabled the operator to protect its CHP plant at minimal installation and operational cost. As part of the overall Uniflare gas train package, the Continued>> september 2014 | AD & Biogas News
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Technology Focus: Measuring & controls
The AWITE biogas analsyer converts H2S to elemental sulphur and water
system features the Allison Engineering AWITE biogas analyser, which automates the injection of small quantities of air into the gas stream within the digester, thereby converting the H2S to elemental sulphur and water. “We need to protect our CHP operations and maintaining H2S concentration levels to less than 300ppm is an essential part of this process,” explains James Hladkij, AD Technician for Cory Environmental. “This system has enabled us to achieve levels of less than 100ppm.”
Future Biogas is clear on the benefits of Geotech’s BIOGAS 5000 portable analyser
Another AD operator who appreciates the importance of monitoring and managing gas levels is David Allan of Future Biogas. To ensure operational success, it is vital for Future Biogas’ customers to know and monitor the CH4, O2 and H2S levels in their AD plant. “We have
tried a similar unit from Germany, but we prefer the Geotech BIOGAS 5000 portable analyser,” says David. “I find the unit to be robust, accurate and easy to operate and for me, the increased portability is its best feature.”
sharwood@allison.co.uk www.allison.co.uk
www.biogaskontor.de 24
info@biogaskontor.de
AD & Biogas News | september 2014
www.adbiogas.co.uk
FM BioEnergy’s recent conference attracted a large crowd keen to learn more about AD optimisation
As well as a need for portable biogas analysers, there is also demand among AD operators for fixed systems. At its 2.4 MW May Farm plant in Cambridgeshire, UTS Biogas is reaping the rewards of installing a fixed biogas analyser from Gas Data: the Click! System. “May Farm is designed to use a mix of energy crops and vegetable outgrades, which isn’t too unusual. However, we have had to cope with a higher than normal input of onions, along with a seasonal fluctuation in supply,” explains Ben Sage, Sales Engineer for UTS Biogas. “Our team has designed a facility that can operate successfully with the high H2S levels this produces.” Regularly measuring these levels is therefore essential. The Click! System provides monitoring for each of the five digester tanks and the CHP engine in one cabinet, reducing the cost of the monitoring process and making plant management much easier. However, process control goes beyond gas monitoring, as the team at FM BioEnergy fully understands. The company’s recent conference, ‘Healthy Bacteria, Healthy Profit’, shone a spotlight on the variety of ways in which FM BioEnergy can help plant operators to optimise their digester’s efficiency and thereby increase profits. Speakers from ADBA, FM BioEnergy and their German partner Schaumann – as well as customers including Future Biogas, FLI Energy and Ynergy – revealed to the 100-strong audience the importance of identifying feedstock traits; how and why operators should be checking a variety of trace elements (not just selenium and cobalt); the latest scientific developments coming out of Schaumann’s German laboratory; and the variety of products and services offered by FM BioEnergy. “No two AD plants are the same, and our varied portfolio reflects this,” explains Tim Elsome, Business Development Manager. “We offer a range of bespoke solutions to help operators stabilise and maximise their digester’s efficiency; from laboratory analysis, nutritional products and silage additives, to enzymes, start-up packages and gas leakage detection. Today’s operators realise that getting a plant built is just the beginning – to get the best return on your investment, it is also imperative that it runs as efficiently as possible.” www.monsal.com www.gpsgroup.co.uk www.tamar-energy.com www.imtech.co.uk www.hitech-inst.co.uk www.uniflare.co.uk www.allison.co.uk www.futurebiogas.com www.geotechuk.com www.uts-biogas.com www.gasdata.co.uk www.fmbioenergy.co.uk www.fli-energy.com
www.chesterfieldbiogas.com sales@chesterfieldbiogas.co.uk
www.adbiogas.co.uk
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Members’ News & Views er Evergreen Gas: Taking memb s small scale AD into
focu
the big league
It’s been a busy few months for small scale AD specialists Evergreen Gas – 15 projects are currently under construction, staff numbers have more than doubled since March this year, and the company has recently secured investment from a syndicate of private investors. Peter Jarema, Managing Director, brings our Editor, Kate O’Reilly, up to speed on the latest developments… “Despite the impending general election and the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) degression creating an element of uncertainty over the future of small scale AD, we believe there’s still a big market to tap into. We have a very full order book going forward and are recruiting madly to keep up with demand – in March this year we were just into double figures yet we now have close to 30 staff members, and are looking to increase this to 50 by September 2015. One of the main reasons behind our rapid growth is the importance we place on R&D. On-farm AD has been our main focus to date, and we are now developing even smaller, more efficient plants, to improve our offering to farmers. Alongside this, we are also looking at food waste AD, and at complementary technologies, to future-proof our business. We’re keen to widen our remit and offer different sizes and types of plants, for different kinds of clients. Another key focus area for Evergreen Gas has been the development of our small scale vehicle fuel unit. Our driver is to make this technology more affordable, hopefully opening up the market for biomethane vehicles to farmers and clients of all sizes, not just large fleet operators. The biogas upgrade facilities are small scale but can be fitted to any sized AD plant to work in conjunction with existing CHP systems. We are also active in the area of process optimisation, using our extensive laboratory services and technical expertise to fine-tune the AD process for a variety of plant operators. We have been fortunate in securing private investment from a syndicate comprising four companies already involved in renewables, including a waste management firm, and a biomass boiler company. There are great opportunities for synergy here, and we are very much looking forward to finding out how we can make this a mutually beneficial arrangement. The future for Evergreen Gas is looking very bright indeed.” www.evergreengas.co.uk
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sales@pumpmix.co.uk
AD & Biogas News | september 2014
www.pumpmix.co.uk www.adbiogas.co.uk
Members’ News & Views SEaB Energy appoints new manufacturing and reseller partners Small scale AD specialist SEaB Energy has forged significant new manufacturing and reseller partnerships that will enable it to accelerate its growth in the UK, the US and Brazil. The company has appointed G3 Systems as its primary manufacturing, service and maintenance partner, in addition to resellers Mosscliff Environmental in the UK; ReSource BioEnergy in the US; and BRWS in Brazil. “These new appointments will not only provide us with greater sales coverage across the globe, but will also offer our customers a world-class engineering partner that will give them an even greater assurance of the robustness of our systems,” assures Sandra Sassow, Chief Executive. www.seabenergy.com
SEaB Energy’s Sandra Sassow alongside the company’s containerised AD solution, the Flexibuster®
NGB launches high speed on-farm AD unit Devon-based AD developer New Generation Biogas (NGB) has launched its first fully commercialised, on-farm AD unit. Ranging from 30 kW to 250 kW, Archemax® is a high throughput, multi-stage system which reduces the amount of time required to break down typical feedstocks to just six days. The unit’s high temperature, thermophilic operation promises increased yields, as well as a small footprint, and is already NGB has seen considerable generating 15 kW of electrical power and interest in its thermophilic AD unit 30 kW of renewable heat from one tonne of grass silage per day for Wheeldon Off-Road Centre, near Totnes. “We identified that the majority of UK farms were not being adequately serviced by the AD sector; most don’t have the space or the volumes of feedstock required to run a commercially viable AD unit,” reveals Stirling Paatz, Director. “We developed a high temperature AD unit that could be much smaller, modular, and where all the fine-tuning adjustments to maintain peak efficiency would be controlled remotely by NGB, with minimum intervention required by the farmer. Archemax® represents the culmination of our work and we are currently servicing 15 serious enquiries.” www.ngbiogas.com
Assure UK’s new ISAE 3000 guide to help AD operators Assure UK, specialist Andrew Riley and the auditors, are offering a Assure UK team free guide to operators of generating stations needing ISAE 3000 sustainability audit sign-off. It is now a requirement from April 2014 for generating stations over 1 MW to return to Ofgem an independent ISAE 3000 audit report to maintain their payments from the Renewables Obligation scheme (see bit.ly/AssureUK1409). Andrew Riley, Director of Assure UK and a member of the Assurance Panel for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, says: “Clients regularly compliment us on our can-do approach. We believe that timely assurance reporting to Ofgem should cause minimum disruption to your business with no nasty surprises. Our guide, together with our fixed fee promise, is there to give AD plant operators facing this new statutory requirement greater certainty and allow them to get on with their day job of running their business as efficiently as possible.” For more info contact Andrew Riley: T +44 (0)207 462 8410 E andrew.riley@assureuk.co.uk www.assureuk.co.uk
www.adbiogas.co.uk
www.weightron.com
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Members’ News & Views Wales’ largest food waste AD plant commissioned Biogen's Waen AD plant, nr St Asaph
Biogen has successfully completed construction and begun operations at the largest food waste AD plant in Wales. The Waen plant in Denbighshire will recycle 22,500 tpa of food waste, generating 1 MWe for the national grid, enough to power 2,000 homes. The food waste is being sent to the plant from a consortium of Denbighshire, Conwy and Flintshire local authorities, all of which carry out weekly food waste collections from residents and businesses. Sam Bates, Waste Operations Manager at Denbighshire County Council, says: “We are very proud of the AD plant and also pleased that residents across the three counties will have access to the scheme. We’ll be encouraging householders to make full use of the kitchen caddies with the knowledge that their food waste is being put to such good use to create renewable energy.” The Waen AD plant is the company’s fourth operational facilitiy in the UK, bringing the total amount of waste processed across all Biogen sites to more than 150,000 tpa. www.biogen.co.uk
Isle of Wight to get first AD plant
Imtech acquires Ros Roca’s AD expertise Following five years’ experience on joint venture projects including Biffa’s Cannock site and Shanks’ AD plant for Wakefield Council, Imtech has acquired ownership of the intellectual property rights The Imtech/Ros Roca JV, which included the (IPR) and know-how for the Cannock AD plant (pictured), will now come to an end waste treatment processes and references of eight Ros Roca installations across Europe. In addition to the actual process and technology rights, Imtech is now exclusively permitted to use Ros Roca’s waste treatment processes and the company’s reference sites around Europe. While the Imtech/Ros Roca JV will conclude the Wakefield contract together, Imtech will now contract alone for any future projects, although a number of Ros Roca staff members will be joining Imtech’s Waste and Energy team. www.imtech.co.uk
Severn Trent invests in £13m food waste AD plant Severn Trent Water is investing £13m in a new AD plant to treat food waste. Constructed by Agrivert, the facility in Coleshill, Warwickshire, is set to be the first of a number of food waste plants the water company plans to build across the Severn Trent region. Severn Trent’s Mike Surrey comments: “Just in our region, there are 750,000 tonnes of available food waste every year. At the moment, a lot of this rots away in landfill, with no benefit to anyone. However, when we’ve built this new anaerobic digester we’ll be able to generate electricity to power our sites and sell the extra back to the grid. Another of Agrivert's UK facilities
“The Coleshill plant is currently being built and by the end of the year it should be converting up to 50,000 tonnes of food waste into energy and a high quality biofertiliser,” continues Mike. “And this is only the beginning. We have ambitious plans to roll out food waste plants across the Severn Trent region, and we’re looking at where we’re going to put the next two plants right now.” www.agrivert.co.uk www.stwater.co.uk
Balmoral acquires Galglass MT-Energie has been contracted by Black Dog Biogas to construct an AD plant on the Isle of Wight. The 500 kW project will incorporate the wet feeding system MT-MixBox and be fed with grass silage, maize silage and cattle manure, with the capacity to use alternative feedstocks, such as food waste, if required. “This project is designed to primarily generate electricity; however we additionally intend to capture and use the heat in a neighbouring manufacturing plant,” states Ben Donaldson, MT-Energie National Sales Manager. www.mt-energie.com
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Balmoral Group Holdings Ltd has completed the purchase of plant and premises relating to the design and manufacture of concrete tanks and industrial epoxy-coated tanks from the administrators of Galglass Ltd. Jim Milne, Chairman of Balmoral Group, says: “Our aim is to develop Jim Milne, the potential offered by the Galglass acquisition and make Chairman of the transition between the companies as seamless as Balmoral Group possible. A number of former Galglass employees have been recruited by Balmoral Tanks and I am confident that this expansion of our business has created Europe’s leading ‘one-stop tank shop’, where virtually any type of tank is available from a single supplier.” www.balmoral-group.com
www.adbiogas.co.uk
Members’ News & Views Movers and Shakers Risk-free AD recruitment from Runrec AD recruitment specialist Runrec has launched a ‘Risk Free Recruitment’ service exclusively to ADBA members. “Should a Runrec-placed candidate leave employment within the first ten years of service, we will replace them free of charge – and if we can't find a replacement, we’ll refund the fee in full, with no questions asked,” explains Andy Petit, Managing Director. “Additionally, we’ve put a cap on the initial fees that we charge and as standard, all candidates come with a five-year career history check and a criminal record check, for even further peace of mind.” www.runrec.co.uk
ENER-G expands CHP wastewater treatment and biogas team ENER-G Combined Power has expanded its specialist CHP wastewater treatment and biogas ENER-G’s new recruits; Martin Wager (L) team with the appointment of biofuels and Laurence Stephenson (R) experts Martin Wager as Business Development Manager (Biogas). Martin, who was previously employed at Cogenco, has 30 years’ experience in the power generation and heat recovery industry. Laurence Stephenson, from sister company ENER-G Natural Power, also joins as Sales Engineer. www.energ-group.com
Continued expansion for Cannington plant Kirk Environmental is due to complete the second extension of its Somerset-based AD plant for Cannington Cold Stores. The company was initially approached in 2008 to design, supply and construct two AD tanks and two pasteurisation tanks, which were followed in 2011 with a further digester tank and pasteurisation tank. This latest addition of three more digester tanks and four pasteurisers will bring the total digestion volume on site to 18,000m³, with a generating capacity in excess of 3.3 MW. www.kirk-environmental.co.uk
Emerald Biogas targets schools’ food waste Newton Aycliffe-based Emerald Biogas is working with catering specialists Taylor Shaw to process food waste from over 20,000 school children across Durham. “By collaborating with Taylor Shaw we can jointly help to create renewable heat, electricity and a biofertiliser, all of which is beneficial to the local community and helps towards creating a sustainable circular economy,” states Anthony Warren, Director of food waste collection firm John Warren ABP, a sister company of Emerald. www.emeraldbiogas.co.uk See our feature on p8, ‘Engaging local communities’
industrialtanks@balmoral.co.uk
www.adbiogas.co.uk
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Policy October FIT degression confirmed
For up to the minute information and advice on regulations, consultations and government news, contact our Policy Manager Matt Hindle T +44 (0)203 176 0591 E matt.hindle@adbiogas.co.uk
Feed-in Tariff (FIT) statistics for June mean that the following degression levels will apply to tariffs for new accreditations and pre-accreditations from 1 October 2014: • <250 kW tariff will be degressed by 10% to 11.21p/kWh • 250-500 kW tariff will be degressed by 10% to 10.37p/kWh • 500 kW-5 MW tariff will be degressed by 5% to 9.02p/kWh Although the sub-500 kW degression was confirmed some months ago, the degression for larger installations was unclear until the release of this set of statistics. June saw 12.5 MW of new capacity registered, of which 6.5 MW were pre-accreditations. Moving forward, it seems likely that the larger scale tariff will be degressed by 10% overall from April 2015 (note that this is based on the current tariff which took effect in April 2014, not the rate that will apply from October 2014). We already know that the smaller scale tariffs will degress by 20% compared to the pre-October rate.
Small scale AD discussed at DECC/Defra roundtable
New ministers at DECC and Defra The recent government reshuffle saw new appointments to DECC and Defra ministerial posts with responsibility for AD. Defra’s Amber Rudd, new Parliamentary new Secretary of State, Elizabeth Under-Secretary of State for DECC Truss MP, takes over from Owen Paterson MP. Meanwhile at DECC, Greg Barker MP has left his post as Minister of State for Climate Change after more than four years, with Amber Rudd MP appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. We have written to both new ministers on a number of issues, in particular asking them to continue the discussions in support of smaller scale AD that Mr Paterson and Mr Barker began in June (see article below).
Representatives from ADBA, REA, NFU and various member companies pushed the case for ministerial support for smaller scale AD when we met Owen Paterson MP, then Defra Secretary of State, and previous DECC Minister Greg Barker MP in early June. The roundtable meeting was convened following DECC’s decision not to review the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) for smaller scale plants, as it had originally committed to do in late 2013.
be reduced as quickly as tariff degressions are taking effect, despite some innovation support. And while the On-Farm AD Fund is helping to support some projects, it cannot replace FIT income or establish the market on its own.
Both ministers were very keen to emphasise their support for AD, especially where it is waste-based or using smaller scale technology on farms, and viewed the meeting as the first stage in a longer process, agreeing to push their departments to show progress in supporting the industry before a second meeting in the autumn. However, it is clear that there will be no ‘silver bullet’; FIT support levels will not be reviewed before 2015, and costs will not
DECC has committed to work with industry over the course of the coming year on proposals for changes to the FIT, however. We are keen to ensure that workable solutions are put in place, and that the consultation takes place promptly after the 2015 election to avoid any further delay. Support from ministers is of course welcome, but we will also be working to achieve wider statements of political support to help this process. In addition, both ministers were receptive to information that industry representatives were able to provide on greenhouse gas savings, stating that they are keen to support the wider benefits of AD, both directly and by supporting market development for digestate. As useful as this is, it will take time to translate into real support for businesses. Since the meeting, we have written to the ministers regarding some of the key issues discussed and have followed this up with their successors in light of the government reshuffle. We have asked them to use all available means of support, such as the On-Farm AD Fund, DIAD and the Green Investment Bank, to provide a bridge to help keep the smaller scale sector going, but left them with the clear message that a viable FIT is essential to establish the thriving industry that they have committed to support.
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www.adbiogas.co.uk
Policy Calls for food waste landfill ban grow stronger As we look towards the 2015 election, the place of resources on the political agenda is unclear. However, the benefits of restricting food waste from landfill in England are becoming increasingly well recognised, with the latest call for such legislation coming from the House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee’s report; ‘Circular Economy: ending the throwaway society’. The Committee recommends several measures: • A ban on food waste being sent to landfill; • Government support for EU proposals to increase recycling rates to 70% by 2030; • Lowering VAT on recycled products. On food waste, the Committee states that: “Government should also ban councils from sending food waste to landfill. Just 400,000 tonnes of food waste is separately collected for organic recycling in the UK out of the 7.2m tonnes thrown out by households every year; around 6%. Instead this food waste could be collected separately and composted or used in anaerobic digesters to produce biogas and renewable energy and fertiliser.” Committee Chair, Joan Walley MP, added: “Food waste could be used to produce biogas for energy and fertiliser for our farming system, yet at the moment too much is thrown into landfill where its value is lost and it produces climate-changing gases like methane.”
ADBA members contribute to new permitting regime With the process to produce Europe-wide reference documents for Best Available Techniques (BAT) in waste treatment well underway, several of our AD operator members are providing information as part of the evidence-gathering process. The proposals could have a huge impact on environmental permitting for AD sites. Once the BAT Reference Document (BREF) is published, all existing permits will be reviewed and some will need to be revised based on BAT requirements. The new waste treatment BREF is due to be released by the European Commission in 2016.
Get involved Following our push for AD operators to participate in the process, 12 UK AD sites are now taking part by providing answers to a questionnaire from the Commission. However, we want to ensure that UK operators are as well represented as possible. There is still time to take part – contact E matt.hindle@adbiogas.co.uk to find out more.
RHI sustainability criteria delayed to April 2015 DECC has announced that greenhouse gas sustainability criteria for the RHI will not be implemented until spring 2015. The criteria, originally scheduled for introduction from this autumn, will now come into force alongside land criteria next year.
We welcome this delay, as it provides Ofgem with the opportunity to develop more detailed guidance than is currently offered, and also gives time for DECC to implement changes we have suggested to the GHG calculator.
www.adbiogas.co.uk
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Working Groups
Training and safety takes centre stage This issue takes an in-depth look at the activities of our Training, Safety and Environmental Management Working Group, which recently met at PROjEN’s offices. Industry-wide safety alert system set to raise standards ADBA and REA are working together on a new system of data collection and safety alerts for the biogas industry. This is designed to create clear information on incidents, which in turn will help to raise standards. The system will involve recording any incidents that occur (such as the failure of pieces of equipment), as well as near misses, and making these available to operators. While we already provide such information via the Health and Safety Hub on the members’ area of the ADBA website, a system for sharing information directly between operators has been a long-term goal for the association, and we are delighted that it is now becoming a reality. To register an interest in taking part contact E ollie.more@adbiogas.co.uk
Skills funding – £33m available Kevin Thrower from the National Skills Academy informed the group about funding opportunities for skills and workforce development under the Science Industry Partnership. A total of £33m has been allocated, which must be matched with a 20% company contribution. The funding can be used for traineeships, higher apprenticeships or for workforce development. www.zerowastescotland.org.uk See Safety First, p37
Update on changes to CDM regulations Rowan House’s Malcolm Leach updated the group on possible changes to CDM regulations. Members agreed that the likely changes were relatively minor, and mostly an issue of restructuring. However, designers and constructors will need to be aware of the implications of changes to competence requirements to demonstrate ‘appropriate skills’. Changes are likely to take effect from April 2015 – find out more at October’s ADBA Regulator Day, see p35 for details.
WAMITAB training gains momentum A total of 60 WAMITAB assessors across 22 centres now provide AD-related training, with over 100 delegates registering for different courses. www.wamitab.org.uk Further actions agreed by the group included: • A subgroup to encourage training on sites which aren’t required to demonstrate competence in the permitting regime; • Production of a Risk Register to identify key areas for best practice development, and to provide a basis for site-by-site guidance. A sub-group has agreed to take forward some simplified guidance on tank bunding, and then odour abatement. The draft Register is available on the members’ area of the ADBA website; • The group’s chair, Terry Brownhill, has begun a template for a generic site induction, which is being circulated to the group for comments.
Get involved
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Our working and operator groups cover the whole spectrum of the AD industry, shaping debate, raising standards and influencing policy. To find out more, or to attend a forthcoming meeting, go to the members’ area at www.adbiogas.co.uk or contact our Policy Manger Matt Hindle T +44 (0)203 176 0591 E matt.hindle@adbiogas.co.uk
www.adbiogas.co.uk
R&D Update Shining a spotlight on R&D funding
For information and advice on our R&D activities, contact our Market Analyst, Ollie More T +44 (0)203 567 0751 E ollie.more@adbiogas.co.uk
I
t has been a busy time since the well-received R&D Hub at UK AD & Biogas 2014 (pictured), and I have been working hard to get to grips with all aspects of my new role. I have now taken over responsibility for ADBA’s R&D liaison work from Rosaline – who is undertaking a Research Masters – and am continuing to strengthen our already close relationships with the newly reformed and now unified Knowledge Transfer Network, universities, research institutes, research councils and funding bodies, including the BBSRC and TSB. Before leaving, Rosaline attended the most recent update meeting for the Knowledge Transfer Centre project at the Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion. The project is progressing well, attracting considerable industry interest in the innovation support services that the centre can provide. However, applying for funding to support these innovation projects has proven to be an uphill struggle. R&D is now firmly part of our policy team’s remit and with the support of our newly appointed Environment and Regulatory Manager, we are in an even stronger position to lobby and argue for the research funding the industry needs in order to continue to innovate.
www.man-engines.com
The establishment of the BBSRC AD Network has also presented a timely opportunity. Over the next few months I will be working closely with the AD Network Managers, Angie Bywater and Dr Louise Byfield, to agree how the Network and the ADBA AD R&D Strategy – which share many mutual objectives – can work together to deliver these shared goals and support the AD industry and academic communities.
www.man-engines.com
www.adbiogas.co.uk
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www.uniflare.co.uk
Membership Matters
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Upcoming Events Europe's leading resource efficiency and waste management event is free to attend and features 750 exhibitors. www.rwmexhibition.com
RWM 16-17 sept 2014
16-18 sept 2014
7 oct 2014
NEC, Birmingham
The Renewables Event NEC, Birmingham
Health, Safety and Environmental Management in AD London
16 oct 2014
23 oct 2014
4 NOV 2014
ADBA Regulator Day Leeds
ADBA Members’ Meeting
This essential one-day conference provides timely and practical information from many of the industry’s most well-respected and experienced figures. Understand the critical elements of plant design for safe operation, gain an in-depth view of HAZOP, and learn how appropriate monitoring and maintenance of AD plants can keep you and your workforce safe, ensuring that costly, and potentially lethal, disasters are avoided. 10% discount for ADBA members. www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk/events This free to attend, member-only event provides an opportunity to debate the issues facing the AD industry, such as changes to permitting and health and safety regulations. Presentations from the EA, HSE, Rowan House and Walker Morris will keep AD operators, consultants and developers abreast of the latest changes to regulation and compliance. The event will also feature Q&A sessions and a case study. www.adbiogas.co.uk Our first Members’ Meeting of the new membership year will provide an update on the latest industry developments. With presentations on FIT, RHI, sustainability criteria and more from government representatives and industry experts, this member-only event is set to provoke lively debate and also offers excellent networking opportunities. www.adbiogas.co.uk
Maclay Murray & Spens, One London Wall, London
ADBA Farmers’ AD Intro Meetings
In partnership with
St Olaves Hotel, Exeter (inc. visit to Wyke Farms)
6 NOV 2014
The Maid’s Head, Wicken, Cambridge (inc. visit to Barway Farms)
18 NOV 2014
Shrewsbury Town Football Club, Shrewsbury (inc. visit to Reaseheath College)
19 NOV North Lakes Hotel, 2014 Penrith, Cumbria (inc. visit to Linstock Castle)
9 dec 2014
The first and only show of its kind in the UK, The Renewables Event brings together buyers and sellers to grow their businesses, hear expert advice and discover opportunities for onsite energy generation. www.therenewablesevent.com
ADBA National Conference 2014 One Great George Street, London
Our new series of farmer-only meetings provides an introduction to anaerobic digestion (AD) for farmers looking to diversify their income streams, advising them on the potential of AD for their business. Free to attend, each meeting will include presentations from ADBA’s finance arm (Compass Renewables) and two of our Farmers’ Consultancy Service consultants, as well as an optional AD plant visit. Register now for free at www.adbiogas.co.uk We would like to thank The Soil Association, MGA, Sastak Ltd, EnAgri, NFU West Midlands and Farmers Weekly for their help. Our sixth ADBA National Conference will set out a strategic vision for the AD industry for 2015-2020. Against the backdrop of next year’s general election, this year’s event will pay particular attention to potential changes in the political landscape and how these could affect your business. The event will address the following key topics: the importance of on-farm AD to farmers; the future of food waste policy; what is the future of biomethane?; the digestate market; operational performance; and the changing landscape of financing AD. Don’t delay - take advantage of our early bird rates and register today at www.adbiogas.co.uk
www.adbiogas.co.uk
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Membership Matters MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR ADBA MEMBERSHIP Membership renewal for next year (starting 1 October 2014) is automatic: you don’t need to do anything – but it is worth taking a look at how you can get the most from your membership. Being a member offers the best opportunity to influence AD policy and regulation, stay in the loop with the latest industry news, gain access to a comprehensive range of AD resources and to have access to our policy team, who are always happy to answer questions. In addition, next year we are adding more hands on support through our operator groups. With a fast growing industry meaning that both new and experienced operators are having to deal with an ever changing and complex environment, we have set up several operator groups to help you address current issues and learn from each other, discuss and drive changes to policy
and regulation, and keep up to speed with latest developments. These include a crop operator group and a food waste operators group. We are also continuing our Farmers’ AD Introductory Meetings this autumn. We will be increasing the frequency and scope of our events and developing new webinars on policy topics and dedicated sector newsletters to help keep you informed. Finally, don’t miss out on your chance to be part of ADBA’s Members’ Directory, mailed to over 2,000 key industry contacts, and be listed on our website.* For more information about membership please contact Wayne Hurley, our Head of Membership: E wayne.hurley@adbiogas.co.uk T +44 (0)203 176 5416 *Members will be contacted by Publishing Events to confirm their entry.
“Infineum UK Ltd have found that membership of the ADBA has helped in our desire to develop deeper insight into end-user requirements. The ADBA magazine informs us of current areas of interest in this quickly evolving market.”
4R Group Ltd ACP Concrete Assure UK AVK UK Ltd Evonik Industries Genoch Mains Farms GM-GREENMETHANE Greenshoots Energy Ltd J F Temple & Son Ltd MM Energy MSE Hiller Pegasus Planning Group Ltd PDBBio Ltd Qila Energy revis bioenergy GmbH RM Walsh Ltd Stemar Ltd Zebec Biogas
info@schmack-biogas.com
Dr Ryan Welton, Senior Market Manager – EMEA Region, Infineum UK Ltd
Welcome new ADBA members!
www.schmack-biogas.co.uk
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www.adbiogas.co.uk
Membership Matters
Safety First
Improving process safety with the Gold Standard “As AD projects move from the design and construction phase into commissioning and full scale production, pressure to create a positive cash flow begins to rise. At this time, it is prudent to consider the potential process safety and competence issues that could affect an AD operation, such as: • Do members of staff have the required level of competence to understand their process safety obligations? • Are maintenance processes in place to identify all safety critical systems and their testing requirements? • Are communications from management to staff issued without ambiguity? • Is the process of accepting plant responsibility from one employee to another completed robustly? Poorly maintained safety critical systems contribute significantly to the chance of a process safety incident. Site operators should therefore ensure that: • Instruments and control loops that provide equipment protection are tested and inspected according to an agreed schedule, with records kept to evidence this; • Staff are trained to document and communicate those systems that could create a process safety incident, eg outstanding permit to work operations, alarm status, and any systems that have been temporarily overridden; • Any contractors remaining after the responsibility for plant operation has been handed over from construction are trained in the operating company’s Safe Systems of Work.
Kevin Thrower works for the National Skills Academy for Process Industries, which assists employers with recruitment, sourcing apprentices and closing competence gaps, as well as providing assistance to UK science industries in competence development. It has now developed the Gold Standard, a competency framework that supports individual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and sets out the skills required for world-class performance in key roles. The Gold Standard consists of four areas of competence to help drive up the level of productivity and efficiency, and mitigate against process safety risks: • Technical competence – the skills required to start up, shut down and operate the plant safely; • Business improvement – investigating and improving process efficiency; • Compliance – understanding health and safety, process safety, and environmental management of AD operations; • Functional and behavioural – ensuring an individual has the required IT and numerical skills, can work as part of a team, and has a clearly defined level of autonomy. As sites continue to increase their operating rates and staff become increasingly busy, managers must ensure their staff have the capability to meet these challenging demands. Understanding the importance of competence management and its relevance in reducing process safety related incidents will therefore be more crucial than ever.” E k.thrower@process.nsacademy.co.uk www.thegold-standard.co.uk www.process.nsacademy.co.uk/process-safety.aspx
om
net-biogas.c
r.dieler@pla
info@planet-biogas.co.uk
www.adbiogas.co.uk
www.planet-biogas.co.uk/biogas/rhi september 2014 | AD & Biogas News
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Membership Matters
Discuss the latest issues affecting your business Taking place at the London offices of Maclay Murray & Spens on 23 October, our next Members’ Meeting will be the first of our new membership year. Featuring updates on the Feed-in Tariff, Renewable Heat Incentive, sustainability criteria and more, this free member-only event will address the key issues affecting your business and give you the opportunity to question speakers from government departments and agencies directly. With a buffet lunch before the presentations and a free drinks reception after, the meeting also serves as an excellent platform from which to network with fellow ADBA members new and old. Find out more and register your free place at www.adbiogas.co.uk
TEAM
Welcome Vera
“Having previously worked in the education and charity sectors in a marketing capacity, I am excited to join ADBA and have the opportunity to learn more about and promote the innovative and growing AD and biogas industry. I will be working on a variety of marketing activities, including ADBA events and this publication.” Vera Litvin, Senior Marketing Executive T +44 (0)203 176 0590 E vera.litvin@adbiogas.co.uk
Chief Executive, Charlotte Morton T + 44 (0)203 176 0503 E charlotte.morton@adbiogas.co.uk Policy Manager, Matt Hindle T +44 (0)203 176 0591 E matt.hindle@adbiogas.co.uk Market Analyst, Ollie More T +44 (0)203 567 0751 E ollie.more@adbiogas.co.uk PR & Parliamentary Affairs Manager, Derek Sivyer T +44 (0)203 176 5441 E derek.sivyer@adbiogas.co.uk Head of Membership, Wayne Hurley T +44 (0)203 176 5416 E wayne.hurley@adbiogas.co.uk
Welcome Andre
“Having worked on major projects such as the London 2012 Games and other events within the UK, I am now looking forward to being part of an organisation which is promoting such a worthy cause as anaerobic digestion.” Andre John, Database Marketing Assistant T +44 (0)203 567 0769 E andre.john@adbiogas.co.uk
Sales Manager Jamil Ahad T +44 (0)203 176 4414 E jamil.ahad@adbiogas.co.uk Sales Executive, Rachel Fenton T +44 (0)203 176 5418 E rachel.fenton@adbiogas.co.uk Head of Marketing Services, Helen Reddick T +44 (0)203 176 0592 E helen.reddick@adbiogas.co.uk Senior Marketing Executive, Vera Litvin T +44 (0)203 176 0590 E vera.litvin@adbiogas.co.uk Creative Marketing Manager, Matthew Ireland T +44 (0)203 176 4415 E matthew.ireland@adbiogas.co.uk
Welcome Derek
“After starting out my career supporting the Shadow Home Affairs Team before the last general election, I have since worked as a Parliamentary Researcher for Gatwick’s Member of Parliament on numerous aviation policy issues including low carbon aviation fuel and waste management. I am looking forward to promoting the benefits of the whole AD industry for a more secure, efficient energy market.” Derek Sivyer, PR & Parliamentary Affairs Manager T +44 (0)203 176 5441 E derek.sivyer@adbiogas.co.uk
Farewell Annika, Jordan and Rosaline
AD & Biogas News | september 2014
Marketing Executive, Barbara Landell Mills T +44 (0)203 176 7767 E barbara.landell-mills@adbiogas.co.uk Database Marketing Assistant, Andre John T +44 (0)203 567 0769 E andre.john@adbiogas.co.uk Accountant, Amy Pritchard T +44 (0)203 176 6962 E amy.pritchard@adbiogas.co.uk Office Executive, Peter Mackintosh T +44 (0)203 176 0503 E peter.mackintosh@adbiogas.co.uk AD Finance, Bruce Nelson, Director of Compass Renewables T +44 (0)1732 464495 E bruce@compassbusinessfinance.co.uk
We are sorry to announce that Annika Herter, our Marketing Manager, Jordan Marshall, our Policy Officer, and Rosaline Hulse, our R&D Liaison and PR Manager, have recently left the Association. We will miss them very much and wish all three the best of luck for the future.
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Marketing Executive, Kelly Oxenham T +44 (0)203 176 5417 E kelly.oxenham@adbiogas.co.uk
AD & Biogas News Managing Editor, Kirsty Sharpe T +44 (0)1920 821873 E kirsty.sharpe@adbiogas.co.uk AD & Biogas News Editor, Kate O’Reilly T +44 (0)7894 039609 E kate.oreilly@adbiogas.co.uk
www.adbiogas.co.uk
Exhibitor Profiles
sean.stevenson@nrm.uk.com
duncan.rose@nrm.uk.com
www.nrm.uk.com
sales@tramspread.co.uk www.tramspread.co.uk
michael.adkins@hrs.co.uk www.adbiogas.co.uk
www.hrs.co.uk september 2014 | AD & Biogas News
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Exhibitor Profiles
info@edina.eu 40
AD & Biogas News | september 2014
www.edina.eu www.adbiogas.co.uk