Is My Farm Suitable for Anaerobic Digestion?

Ten questions to ask

These ten questions cover the ground a proper feasibility assessment would start with — they won't give a final answer on their own, but they show quickly where a farm's opportunity looks strong or weak.

• ·Do you have a reliable feedstock, and how much of it is actually collectable?
• ·How much electricity do you use, and when during the day and year?
• ·Can you make use of the heat a CHP unit would also produce?
• ·Is there a sensible location for the plant, considering slurry, electricity, access and neighbours?
• ·Do you have — or can you build — suitable digestate storage?
• ·What infrastructure already exists that the project could use?
• ·Can the farm realistically manage and maintain the plant day to day?
• ·Does the financial case make sense as part of the wider farm business?

A simple suitability indicator

A particularly promising farm might combine reliable housed slurry, substantial continuous electricity demand, a workable site and appropriate storage capacity. A less straightforward opportunity might involve limited collectable slurry, low energy consumption, poor access and significant additional infrastructure needed. Neither picture automatically determines the answer, but it shows why every project should start with the farm rather than the equipment.