DEFRA Ministers give boost to Biogas.
Department of Environment and Rural Affairs, Thursday, 17 July, 2008.

"Fifty senior industry and NGO executives met DEFRA ministers today to
discuss multi-million pound plans to make greater use of anaerobic
digestion - the technology which produces energy from organic material
like food waste and manure. The meeting heard that the process could
produce enough electricity to power two million homes.

Representatives from the agriculture and biogas industries,
supermarkets, water and energy companies, the waste and food sectors,
NGOs, Regional Development Agencies, local government and regulators met
Defra ministers Phil Woolas, Jeff Rooker and Joan Ruddock to discuss
practical ways to achieve a major increase in the use of this
environmentally friendly technology. Ministers also gave details of how
a £10 million programme of 'demonstrator' projects could help to
encourage investment.

Delegates agreed to work with Government and each other to overcome the
barriers to the greater use of anaerobic digestion and to take action to
increase its capacity in the country.

Anaerobic digestion breaks down organic matter to produce biogas which
can be used as a renewable energy source for heat and power, and as a
transport fuel. It produces a nutrient-rich digestate which can be used
as fertiliser, and importantly it keeps organic waste out of landfill,
which cuts greenhouse gas emissions.

The anaerobic digestion demonstration programme will seek to fund
between three and six projects that demonstrate the different benefits
of anaerobic digestion. Each successful project will demonstrate how
'state of the art' use of anaerobic digestion technology can make a
significant contribution to achieving one or more of the following aims:

* maximising the cost effective production of biogas;
* maximising the environmental benefits from the use of anaerobic
   digestion and its products;
* maximising the potential of anaerobic digestion to reduce the carbon
   footprint of the food supply chain;
* maximising the opportunity for the injection of biomethane into the
   gas grid; and
* maximising the potential of anaerobic digestion to reduce the carbon
   footprint of water treatment infrastructure."

http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/20030

See related article:

Food sector welcomes DEFRA biogas initiative
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=86566-defra-fdf-anaerobic-waste


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Dr. Ann C. Wilkie Tel: (352)392-8699
Soil and Water Science Department Fax: (352)392-7008
University of Florida-IFAS
P.O. Box 110960 E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Gainesville, FL 32611-0960
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BioEnergy and Sustainable Technology Society
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