Bioenergy options and collaboration

Collaboration between farmers may help to generate investment needed for new bio energy projects, organise supply of feedstock or availability of land for spreading of digestate.

A Frank Arden Memorial Study report by Julian Morgan presents a series of case study examples where farmers have developed bio energy projects from biomass and waste in the UK and Germany. The case studies demonstrate that the way agricultural business can contribute to climate change amelioration and energy production linked to biomass and waste may vary considerably. Some farmers will invest in on-farm systems such as anaerobic digestion and combined heat and power facilities, where significant investment is required.

In other instances groups of agricultural businesses may invest in centralised bio energy projects.In Denmark for instance, centralised anaerobic digestion (CAD) plants are common, taking in slurry from surrounding farms. There are currently around twenty commercial plants in operation and in many cases co-operation is key to their success. Farmer suppliers are often shareholders in the business and also provide important security of feedstock supply and land for spreading of digestate produced.

A case study example of a CAD plant, presented in a recent report published by the National Non-Food Crops Centre, demonstrates how a culture of collaboration has been applied to the bio energy industry in Denmark. The Ribe and Lintrup CAD plants in west Denmark form one of the largest CAD operations in the world. The plants are owned by famers who supply manure as feedstock for the plants. In this case co-operation is a crucial part of the business structure.

Agriculture's role in energy production from biomass and waste

Frank Arden Memorial Study

Julian Morgan, April 2008

A Detailed Economic Assessment of Anaerobic Digestion Technology and its Suitability to UK Farming and Waste Systems

Report by Andersons for National Non-food Crops Centre

April 2008

Co-operative Energy: Lessons from Denmark and Sweden

Department of Trade and Industry (2004)

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