Benefits of AD
Farmgen’s experts believe the UK’s farming sector could sustain up to 1,000 AD plants – using marginal land to diversify into ‘energy farming’. These plants would produce organic silage and help to protect and sustain existing land used for food production.

AD plants provide jobs, bring inward investment into the rural economy and support the need for renewable energy sources. The process uses locally produced crops and crop residues.

The technology – in terms of appearance and operation – is among the most ‘farm friendly’ available. The units used are designed to mitigate their impact on the surrounding environment.

Compared to other alternative renewable energy generators, such as wind turbines, it has significantly less visual impact. The bio-product of the plant is returned to the surrounding land as fertiliser to support the growth of the following year’s crops – reducing the need for carbon-intensive industrial fertilisers, which are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. It also has far less odour.

Livestock farmers faced with investment challenges under the Nitrates Vulnerable Zones legislation can benefit from an AD plant – boosting storage capacity and improving incomes from renewable energy sales.