The UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) has announced plans to provide funding for two anaerobic digestion plants on farms in Northern Ireland, with several other AD projects thought to be in the pipeline in the region.
The projects, in Cookstown, County Tyrone and Banbridge, County Down, will be used by local livestock farmers and have been developed alongside their advisors, KPMG, working with the GIB’s fund manager, Foresight and PAR Renewables, a consortium of three farming enterprises.
Shaun Kingsbury, GIB chief executive, said: “This is a textbook example of the types of project we should be seeing all across the UK.
“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.”
PAR Renewables spokesman, Rodney Sloan said: “We took the decision to develop an on-farm anaerobic digestion plant over three years ago, pooling the resources across our three farm enterprises.
“While we received planning permission nearly two years ago, the lack of suitable funding in the market has delayed the project’s development and we are therefore delighted to have worked with the GIB, Foresight, KPMG and Williams Industrial Services to secure a funding package tailored specifically to our project’s requirements.”
The feedstock for the plants will include farm waste from the surrounding farms and the digestate by-product will be used by them as a biofertiliser for their crops.
When completed, the two projects are expected to generate enough renewable energy to power 1700 households for a year. The reduction in greenhouse gas production from the projects will be equivalent to taking 2000 cars off the road for a year.
UK resources management minister Dan Rogerson said: “I am delighted that the Green Investment Bank has invested in these two excellent projects. “Anaerobic digestion is the unsung hero of the renewables industry; it diverts waste from landfill and generates clean, renewable energy.
“Given the technology’s flexibility it’s also a great way for farmers to secure additional income from manures and slurries alongside food waste.”

Held on the evening of 2 July, after first day of the annual industry exhibition and conference, UK AD & Biogas 2014, NEC Birmingham, the UK AD & Biogas Industry Awards will be presented to companies that have successfully demonstrated their capabilities and achievements over the past 12 months.

According to Charlotte Morton, chief executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA), the UK AD & Biogas Industry Awards recognise the incredible innovation and achievements of individual companies, while demonstrating the benefits of anaerobic digestion and the ability of the technology to successfully integrate into a range of businesses and sectors, including utilities.

This year’s event boasts a number of exciting new awards categories including:

• Best supporting service
• Best small scale AD project
• Best on-farm AD project
• Best merchant AD project; and
• Best food and drink industry AD project

The 2014 UK AD & Biogas Industry Award finalists are as follows:

• Cranfield University, Severn Trent Water and NMC Nomenca, Veolia “Water Energy” Programme
• Olleco, ReFood
• Citadel Environmental Solutions, Monsal, MT Energie UK, New Generation Biogas, Nijhuis H2OK, PRM Waste Systems, Schwarting Biosystem, Uniflare Ltd.
• Citadel Environmental Solutions, Monsal, Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion
• Chesterfield Biogas, Clarke Energy
• Aqua Enviro, GP Planning, RUR3 Environmental, The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion, Walker Morris
• Agrigen Ltd., Shropshire Biogas, Edina Group and PROjEN, St Nicholas Court Farms and MT-Energie UK, Tamar Energy, WIS Group Northern Ireland
• Clearfleau, Holbeach AD Facility (QV Foods and Tamar Energy), Wyke Farm
• Emerald Biogas and Edina Group, Malaby Biogas, Monsal, TEG Biogas Ltd.
• Clearfleau, LEAP Micro AD
• ENA Biomethane Campaign, Imtech, ReFood, Scotia Gas Networks, Tamar Energy, Target Renewables, Wyke Farm

Assured Asset Energy (AAE), a UK-based company specialising in anaerobic digestion and waste gasification technologies, has set up £27 million (€33 million) in financing for up to 30 new on-farm biogas projects in Northern Ireland.

The fund, AAE says, will help Northern Ireland reach its 2020 renewables target. Set out in the Strategic Energy Framework for Northern Ireland 2010, the region must source 40% of its total energy from renewable materials in six years’ time.

It is expected the £27 million, which will be made available to the country’s farming community, will help establish plants able to process a total 450,000 tonnes per year of farm waste, producing enough biogas to generate up to 8.5MW of renewable energy for sale into the Northern Ireland grid.

Environment minister Mark Durkan was reported to have said: ‘This fund will help more farmers to seize the benefits of this renewable technology which can help them make savings and reduce running costs in the longer term. Anaerobic digesters can also assist in reducing carbon emissions and help meet Executive Renewable Energy targets.’