Report release: Anaerobic Digestion Market in Great Britain - Does it have capacity?

The Governments in England, Scotland and Wales, along with many other producers, regulators and commentators are promoting increases in the segregation and separate collection of Food Waste.

Tolvik have issued a new report to consider the effect of these strategies, and other market factors, on the future supply of feedstock to Anaerobic Digestion (“AD”) facilities together with an assessment of the available treatment capacity.

The report has been written specifically on the assumption that legislation with respect to separate Household Food Waste collection in England will be introduced by 2023. It includes an economic assessment of the income characteristics of AD facilities, explores the impact of declining power subsidies, both now and in the mid term to 2025.

Household food waste arisings are expected to continue the past 10 year trend of reducing, however the tonnage of separately collected household food waste, suitable for AD, is expected to increase significantly as a result of new policies being considered by both Government and industry.

Market balance – assuming that suitable legislation is put in place in support of the Resources and Waste Strategy in England and assuming current feedstock utilisation, at a simple level of analysis there could be a perceived shortfall in AD capacity in Great Britain by 2025. However the analysis in this report strongly suggests if AD facilities are able to operate at higher utilisation and/or lower value inputs from Food Manufacturing, Industrial and Agricultural sectors are displaced in preference to Household and Commercial Food Waste then the policies are likely to lead to a different outcome.

If you wish to read the full report, an electronic copy of Anaerobic Digestion Market in Great Britain: Does it have the capacity? is available at a cost of £295 plus VAT via http://www.tolvik.com/published-reports