Renewables bodies have welcomed government plans to carry out a review of the level of Feed-in Tariff (FiT) support available for small-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.
Energy minister Greg Barker has confirmed in a letter that the government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change will carry out a review of its plans to reduce FiT support for AD plants from April.
The Renewable Energy Association (REA) and the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) have both warned cuts to FiT support would make small-scale AD plants, in particular those installed on farms, economically unviable.
“The simple fact is that if this situation isn’t resolved, the on-farm AD industry will grind to a halt,” said REA chief executive Dr Nina Skorupska.
“The timely announcement of the reveiw gives government a good chance of fixing the situation quickly enough to preserve the majority of existing project and keep the door open for further growth.”
She said on-farm AD offered many benefits allowing farmers to generate an income from wastes and residues by converting them into renewable biogas and biofertiliser.
ADBA chief executive Charlotte Morton said: “Smaller-scale anaerobic digestion has a huge amount to offer. Using slurry and farm wstes mitigates methane emissions on farms, generating employment in rural communities and creating a UK manufacturing sector with strong export potential.”
She said ADBA, the REA and faming organisations would respond to the government’s consultation on the issue to help set a “long-term supportive framework, which ensures all scales of AD are able to prosper”.
