Anaerobic Digestion: Difference between revisions

Bin52 (talk | contribs)
m add links and table
Bin52 (talk | contribs)
m add new link
Line 6: Line 6:


==Overview==
==Overview==
'''Anaerobic Digestion''' (AD) is a process where biodegradable material is broken down by micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen in an enclosed vessel. [[Biogas]] is produced that can be used for the generation of power (electic and heat), or refined and used as a 'biomethane', and [[Digestate]] is produced which can be used as a 'biofertiliser'.  
'''Anaerobic Digestion''' (AD) is a process where biodegradable material is broken down by micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen in an enclosed vessel. [[Biogas]] is produced that can be used for the generation of power (electric and heat), or refined and used as a 'biomethane', and [[Digestate]] is produced which can be used as a 'biofertiliser'.  
[[File:NEW AD diagram LR.jpg|600px|left]]<ref>[http://www.abdabioresources.org/about-ad/what-is-it/ The AD Cycle - Reproduced from the [[ABDA]] website]</ref>
[[File:NEW AD diagram LR.jpg|600px|left]]<ref>[http://www.abdabioresources.org/about-ad/what-is-it/ The AD Cycle - Reproduced from the [[ABDA]] website]</ref>
<br clear='left'/>
<br clear='left'/>
Line 22: Line 22:


{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
!National Statistics!![[NNFCC]]!![[ADBA]]!!Feedstock
![[BEIS]]!![[NNFCC]]!![[ADBA]]!!Feedstock
|-
|-
|rowspan=5| Anaerobic Digestion||rowspan=3|Farm AD||rowspan=3|Agriculture||[[Agricultural Waste]] (incl. manures and slurries)
|rowspan=5| Anaerobic Digestion||rowspan=3|Farm AD||rowspan=3|Agriculture||[[Agricultural Waste]] (incl. manures and slurries)
Line 38: Line 38:
This classification can be further divided by the nature of the [[Food Waste]] (i.e. [[Animal By-product Material|ABPR]] and non-[[Animal By-product Material|ABPR]] material) - where the process utilises [[Animal By-product Material|ABPR]] materials, it must comply with the [[Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2011]] requirements and some Agricultural plants, for example, only utilise non-[[Animal By-product Material|ABPR]] material so as to avoid the need to comply with these requirements. Additionally, the three different feedstocks in the 'Agricultural' classification can be co-digested in different combinations to optimise plant productivity and yield of [[biogas]] and can be talked about in those terms.[[Sewage Sludge]] doesn't tend to be blended with other materials and tends to be a dedicated AD solution in its own right - primarily as it becomes impossible to to deliver [[End of Waste Criteria|End of Waste]] [[digestate]] with the introduction of [[Sewage Sludge]] as an input feedstock.
This classification can be further divided by the nature of the [[Food Waste]] (i.e. [[Animal By-product Material|ABPR]] and non-[[Animal By-product Material|ABPR]] material) - where the process utilises [[Animal By-product Material|ABPR]] materials, it must comply with the [[Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2011]] requirements and some Agricultural plants, for example, only utilise non-[[Animal By-product Material|ABPR]] material so as to avoid the need to comply with these requirements. Additionally, the three different feedstocks in the 'Agricultural' classification can be co-digested in different combinations to optimise plant productivity and yield of [[biogas]] and can be talked about in those terms.[[Sewage Sludge]] doesn't tend to be blended with other materials and tends to be a dedicated AD solution in its own right - primarily as it becomes impossible to to deliver [[End of Waste Criteria|End of Waste]] [[digestate]] with the introduction of [[Sewage Sludge]] as an input feedstock.
===Definition by Output===
===Definition by Output===
The broad classifications by output are summarised in the table below (primarily by [[Ofgem]], but also National Statistics and [[Department of Transport]]):  
The broad classifications by output are summarised in the table below (primarily by [[Ofgem]] via the different subsidy scheme requirements, but also [[BEIS]] via the Digest of UK Energy Statistics<ref name = "DUKES">[https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes-2019 National Statistics: Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2019]</ref>. and the [[DOT]] via the reporting on Road Transport Fuels<ref>[https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/790538/rtfo-annual-report-2017-2018-web.pdf RTFO Annual Report 2017-18]</ref>):  


{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
Line 96: Line 96:
This has led to a slower growth in the market, and depending on the view taken on load factors in the market (i.e. the amount of power/gas production vs the plated capacity) there is presently an excess of AD capacity in relation to the feedstocks available to the plants, especially for separately collected [[Food Waste]].
This has led to a slower growth in the market, and depending on the view taken on load factors in the market (i.e. the amount of power/gas production vs the plated capacity) there is presently an excess of AD capacity in relation to the feedstocks available to the plants, especially for separately collected [[Food Waste]].


An analysis of the data provided by National Statistics<ref>https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-small-scale-renewable-deployment</ref> for the monthly [[FIT]] commissioned installations over the period of the schemes existence shows an increase from 1 plant prior to 2010 to 427 plants by March 2019, generating 294.9MW of power.
An analysis of the data provided by National Statistics<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-small-scale-renewable-deployment National Statistics: Monthly Small Scale Renewables]</ref> for the monthly [[FIT]] commissioned installations over the period of the schemes existence shows an increase from 1 plant prior to 2010 to 427 plants by March 2019, generating 294.9MW of power.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
Line 117: Line 117:


==Number of UK Sites==
==Number of UK Sites==
At December 2018 National Statistics reported the following key statistics for the number of AD sites generating electricity (extract from table 6F)<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes-2019 Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2019]</ref>.
At December 2018 National Statistics reported the following key statistics for the number of AD sites generating electricity (extract from table 6F)<ref name = "DUKES"/>:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-