Anaerobic digestion in Northern Ireland provides a solution to the ongoing trilemma faced by farmers when it comes to environment, land use and energy policy changes, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has said.
The future of anaerobic digestion (AD) policy in Northern Ireland is currently in the spotlight following the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) Northern Ireland Forum in Belfast.
The UFU has warned that it is vitally important that there is constructive discussion on any AD policy development and that land-based sectors are involved in those discussions.
William Irvine, UFU deputy president, said it has previously highlighted the potential for biomethane in Northern Ireland.
”Anaerobic digestion in NI provides a solution to the ongoing trilemma faced by environment/land use and energy policy changes,” he said.
“However, it needs to be stressed that due to livestock farming being best suited to the local landscape, the focus needs to shift to encourage livestock farmers to recognise the benefits of biomethane production.”
Irvine said the benefits for farmers include a reduced carbon footprint and reliance on conventional manufactured fertilisers which could translate into a strong economic plus for them as energy prices continue to rise.
But the UFU has also warned that there are barriers that currently prevent more farmers from moving into the production of the green energy source such as grid connection issues and significant upfront capital costs that need to be addressed.
Irvine said that the union has been informed that a steering group has been set up to drive policy for anaerobic digestion in Northern Ireland but it was concerned that key stakeholders had not been included in this group.
“Our involvement from the outset is imperative to getting a fitting policy in place that will work for the land-based sectors, particularly livestock farming, and we urge DAERA (The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) to take this request on board,” he said.
Currently, Northern Ireland’s AD sector has been supported on the basis of a premium price paid for ‘green’ electricity.
This is linked back to the availability of government-issued renewable obligation certificates (ROCs).
This means the development of the sector has been largely driven by the involvement of commercial finance businesses, working closely with farmer-based and other commercial operators.
It is estimated that the majority of AD operations have a 500kW capacity and the main feed stock is a mix of grass and crop silages with slurry as a lubricant to allow the loading of the digestion plant.
Feedback from farm families in Northern Ireland show many are unhappy with what they describe as their “inability” to compete with AD operators for land which they would have traditionally used to maintain the fabric of their own businesses.