Key Points

There are hundreds of biogas plants in Germany and Austria utilising a wide variety of feedstock materials. This project seeks to take that experience and know-how, modify it to fit local circumstances and utilise it to promote this extremely valuable low-carbon technology.

The project restricts itself to the deliberate generation of methane from controlled anaerobic digestion and therefore precludes the exploitation of landfill gas from its remit. There are, however, a growing number of designs and processes for anaerobic digestion plant and this project seeks to exploit the best available in each circumstance.

Biogas Regions

Background

Biogas Regions is a three year project, supported by Intelligent Energy Europe, which seeks to promote biogas (anaerobic digestion) technology and identify and, if possible, remove barriers to its implementation in seven regions of Europe.

Aims

Taking inspiration, knowledge and experience from project partners in Germany and Austria and using it to accelerate implementation of this technology in less developed partner regions. For the purposes of this project the UK region is Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Monmouthshire and Powys.

Through a combination of measures that includes training, the provision of advice, promotion activity, study tours, investment preparation and know-how transfer, to see new biogas plant established in the partner regions.

Activities

The project will run from November 2007 through to October 2010 and an Advisory Committee will oversee its implementation in the chosen UK region. SWEA will work in association with others that have an interest in any aspect of the technology and this will include potential developers, farmers, waste producers and managers (including local authorities), waste regulators, universities and financial institutions.

The project will provide training, study tour opportunities, seminars and other awareness raising activity and will seek to promote the value of biogas technology at every opportunity. There will be written material available as the project develops.

It is intended that potential development projects will be identified, analysed through a series of checks and the most promising helped towards implementation. It is clearly important that the project identifies barriers to implementation in the UK context and seeks to remove them where this is feasible and desirable.

Cardiff City Hall

SWEA and the Biogas Regions project were joint sponsors of an event in Cardiff City Hall on Nov 11th - along with the Welsh Local Government Association and the Wales Centre of Excellence for AD at the University of Glamorgan. The core of the day consisted of various AD plant suppliers explaining their systems with the aid of case studies. All of the presentations from the conference are available here.

Documents

Framework Conditions for Biogas Plant in England and Wales - July 2008

Advisory Group meeting minutes - Feb 2008

Biogas Regions newsletter No.1 - Spring 2008

Biogas Regions England and Wales newsletter No.2 - Summer 2008

Biogas Regions England and Wales newsletter No.3 - Autumn 2008

Advisory Group meeting minutes - July 08

The sole responsibility for the content of this document lies with the authors. It does not represent the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Coordinator

Andy Bull - Senior Project Manager

	andy
	01982 551006

Related Projects

BioNETT

We would welcome your views on the draft regional strategy

Please take a look at the draft (SWEA) regional strategy for the Biogas Regions Project - link below.

We recognise that the Strategy might quickly become overtaken by events and we are anxious to keep up-to-date. Please send in comments at any time via email to Andy_AT_swea.co.uk All comments received will be reported to and considered by the next meeting of the Advisory Group

Biogas Regions Regional Strategy & Action Plan

Project Partners

Rhonalpenergie-Environment (RAEE) - Project Co-ordinator - France

WFG Schwabisch Hall - Experienced partner - Germany

Landesenergieverein Steiermark - Experienced Partner - Austria

Ente Regional de la Energia de Castilla y Leon - Spain

Malopolska Regional Energy Agency - Poland

Centre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques - Belgium

Regione Abruzzo - Italy

Agricultural Institute of Slovenia - Slovenia

Severn Wye Energy Agency - UK

European Federation of Regional Energy and Environment Agencies