Anaerobic Digestion: Difference between revisions

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==Growth in Anaerobic Digestion==

Whilst the introduction of the [[Renewables Obligation]] in 2002 started to stimulate growth in larger AD projects (including 'Food AD' and 'Sewage Sludge AD') it was only really with the introduction of The [[FIT]] scheme in 2010 that the AD market really started to grow, stimulating smaller projects and especially 'Farm AD' based on crops, [[Agricultural Waste]] and in some cases [[Food Waste]]. This was also enabled by investment tax benefits for investing in these projects ([[EIS]] and [[SEIS]] especially, which reduced in impact with changes to the schemes in 2015/16 leading to less investment stimulus.

Whilst the introduction of the [[Renewables Obligation]] in 2002 started to stimulate growth in larger AD projects (including 'Food AD' and 'Sewage Sludge AD') it was only really with the introduction of The [[FIT]] scheme in 2010 that the AD market really started to grow, stimulating smaller projects and especially 'Farm AD' based on crops, [[Agricultural Waste]] and in some cases [[Food Waste]]. This was also enabled by investment tax benefits for investing in these projects ([[EIS]] and [[SEIS]] especially, which reduced in impact with changes to the schemes in 2015/16 leading to less investment stimulus).

With greater focus on the collection of separate [[Food Waste]] from 2011 onwards this also stimulated the market at the time by making materials available with gate fees payable. The roll-out of [[Food Waste]] collection, however, slowed and the stimulation provided by the [[FIT]] scheme was reduced in 2017, leading to projects relying on the creation of biomethane, which in turn relied on the [[RHI]] (for injection to the gas grid) ~~and [[RTFO]] (for use in vehicles).~~

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 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.

With greater focus on the collection of separate [[Food Waste]] from 2011 onwards this also stimulated the market at the time by making materials available with gate fees payable. The roll-out of [[Food Waste]] collection, however, slowed and the stimulation provided by the [[FIT]] scheme was reduced in 2017, leading to projects relying on the creation of biomethane, which in turn relied on the [[RHI]] (for injection to the gas grid) and [[RTFO]] (for use in vehicles) which has generally led to a slowing in the growth of the market.

Depending on the view taken on load factors in operational plants (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 Office for National Statistics (ONS)<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.

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==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 name = "DUKES"/>:

At December 2018 the ONS reported the following key statistics for the number of AD sites generating electricity (extract from table 6F)<ref name = "DUKES"/>:

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|Total||419<sup>1</sup>||393||812

|}

# noted as 427 by the [[Ofgem]] reported figures above (these figures appear to be reporting December 2016 figures despite ~~saying~~ December 2018 in the table)

# noted as 427 by the [[Ofgem]] reported figures above (these ONS figures appear to be reporting December 2016 figures for FIT projects, despite stating December 2018 in the table)

[[ADBA]] maintain the national database of AD plants in the UK as an online tool<ref name="Map"/>. The online tool captures those plants which are based on four different feedstock configurations and three different power output configurations. A summary of the total plants listed is set out below, with an extract in the map to the right of MSW/Commercial [[Food Waste]] AD facilities generating electricity:

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|}

The table below is reproduced from table 4.3 in the Renewable Obligation Annual Report 2017-18 by [[Ofgem]] and shows the consignments reported by AD against the sustainability criteria required by the [[Biomass Sustainability]] reporting, although those with <1MW are not formally linked to a [[ROC]] issue<ref>[https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2019/03/ro_annual_report_2017-18_final.pdf Renewable Obligation Annual Report 2017-18]</ref> :

==Feedstock==

The table below is reproduced from table 4.3 in the Renewable Obligation Annual Report 2017-18 by [[Ofgem]] and shows the consignments (i.e. the feedstock flows reported to AD plants, not the number of AD plants) reported as AD against the sustainability criteria required by the [[Biomass Sustainability]] reporting, although those with <1MW are not formally linked to a [[ROC]] issue<ref>[https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2019/03/ro_annual_report_2017-18_final.pdf Renewable Obligation Annual Report 2017-18]</ref> :

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There are currently 100 AD stations with a Greenhouse Gas Emission installed capacity less than 1MW

The difference between the ~~National Statistics~~ data and the [[Ofgem]] data above, i.e. 213 sites (adjusted from the 221 sites with the time error data highlighted above), can be inferred to be those AD plants that are producing biomethane rather than electricity (assuming their other datasets align).

The difference between the ONS data and the [[Ofgem]] data above, i.e. 213 sites (adjusted from the 221 sites with the time error data highlighted above), can be inferred to be those AD plants that are producing biomethane rather than electricity (assuming their other datasets align).

The same [[Ofgem]] data shows that the smaller projects are primarily fed by silage, manures and slurries (i.e. Farm based AD):

{| class="wikitable"

@@ Line 92: / Line 92: @@
 ==Growth in Anaerobic Digestion==
-Whilst the introduction of the [[Renewables Obligation]] in 2002 started to stimulate growth in larger AD projects (including 'Food AD' and 'Sewage Sludge AD') it was only really with the introduction of The [[FIT]] scheme in 2010 that the AD market really started to grow, stimulating smaller projects and especially 'Farm AD' based on crops, [[Agricultural Waste]] and in some cases [[Food Waste]]. This was also enabled by investment tax benefits for investing in these projects ([[EIS]] and [[SEIS]] especially, which reduced in impact with changes to the schemes in 2015/16 leading to less investment stimulus.
+Whilst the introduction of the [[Renewables Obligation]] in 2002 started to stimulate growth in larger AD projects (including 'Food AD' and 'Sewage Sludge AD') it was only really with the introduction of The [[FIT]] scheme in 2010 that the AD market really started to grow, stimulating smaller projects and especially 'Farm AD' based on crops, [[Agricultural Waste]] and in some cases [[Food Waste]]. This was also enabled by investment tax benefits for investing in these projects ([[EIS]] and [[SEIS]] especially, which reduced in impact with changes to the schemes in 2015/16 leading to less investment stimulus).
-With greater focus on the collection of separate [[Food Waste]] from 2011 onwards this also stimulated the market at the time by making materials available with gate fees payable. The roll-out of [[Food Waste]] collection, however, slowed and the stimulation provided by the [[FIT]] scheme was reduced in 2017, leading to projects relying on the creation of biomethane, which in turn relied on the [[RHI]] (for injection to the gas grid) and [[RTFO]] (for use in vehicles).
-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 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.
+With greater focus on the collection of separate [[Food Waste]] from 2011 onwards this also stimulated the market at the time by making materials available with gate fees payable. The roll-out of [[Food Waste]] collection, however, slowed and the stimulation provided by the [[FIT]] scheme was reduced in 2017, leading to projects relying on the creation of biomethane, which in turn relied on the [[RHI]] (for injection to the gas grid) and [[RTFO]] (for use in vehicles) which has generally led to a slowing in the growth of the market.
+Depending on the view taken on load factors in operational plants (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 Office for National Statistics (ONS)<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"
 |-
@@ Line 117: / Line 119: @@
 ==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 name = "DUKES"/>:
+At December 2018 the ONS reported the following key statistics for the number of AD sites generating electricity (extract from table 6F)<ref name = "DUKES"/>:
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-
@@ Line 128: / Line 130: @@
 |Total||419<sup>1</sup>||393||812
 |}
-# noted as 427 by the [[Ofgem]] reported figures above (these figures appear to be reporting December 2016 figures despite saying December 2018 in the table)
+# noted as 427 by the [[Ofgem]] reported figures above (these ONS figures appear to be reporting December 2016 figures for FIT projects, despite stating December 2018 in the table)
 [[ADBA]] maintain the national database of AD plants in the UK as an online tool<ref name="Map"/>. The online tool captures those plants which are based on four different feedstock configurations and three different power output configurations. A summary of the total plants listed is set out below, with an extract in the map to the right of MSW/Commercial [[Food Waste]] AD facilities generating electricity:
@@ Line 151: / Line 153: @@
 |}
-The table below is reproduced from table 4.3 in the Renewable Obligation Annual Report 2017-18 by [[Ofgem]] and shows the consignments reported by AD against the sustainability criteria required by the [[Biomass Sustainability]] reporting, although those with <1MW are not formally linked to a [[ROC]] issue<ref>[https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2019/03/ro_annual_report_2017-18_final.pdf Renewable Obligation Annual Report 2017-18]</ref> :
+==Feedstock==
+The table below is reproduced from table 4.3 in the Renewable Obligation Annual Report 2017-18 by [[Ofgem]] and shows the consignments (i.e. the feedstock flows reported to AD plants, not the number of AD plants) reported as AD against the sustainability criteria required by the [[Biomass Sustainability]] reporting, although those with <1MW are not formally linked to a [[ROC]] issue<ref>[https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2019/03/ro_annual_report_2017-18_final.pdf Renewable Obligation Annual Report 2017-18]</ref> :
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-
@@ Line 177: / Line 180: @@
 |}
 There are currently 100 AD stations with a Greenhouse Gas Emission  installed capacity less than 1MW
-The difference between the National Statistics data and the [[Ofgem]] data above, i.e. 213 sites (adjusted from the 221 sites with the time error data highlighted above), can be inferred to be those AD plants that are producing biomethane rather than electricity (assuming their other datasets align).
+The difference between the ONS data and the [[Ofgem]] data above, i.e. 213 sites (adjusted from the 221 sites with the time error data highlighted above), can be inferred to be those AD plants that are producing biomethane rather than electricity (assuming their other datasets align).
+The same [[Ofgem]] data shows that the smaller projects are primarily fed by silage, manures and slurries (i.e. Farm based AD):
 {| class="wikitable"