Blake Lapthorn's climate change sector group hosts James Astor, managing director of Agrivert at its second green breakfast in the fourth series.

1. Waste - or
Resource?
James Astor
17th March 2010

2. Agenda
• Introduction
• Linking UK waste strategy with:
– Energy security
– Climate Change
• Regulatory drivers
• Recycling technologies
• Case study: Oxfordshire

3. Agrivert
• Recycling organic material for 17 years
• Designed & built 11 recycling sites between 2002-2008
– in 2008 these sites recycled over 300,000 tonnes organic material
– spread product over 30,000 acres
– Relationships with over 200 farmers

4. Energy security
• North Sea gas reserves in decline
• “Dirty” coal fired power stations
being decommissioning
• Remaining Magnox nuclear stations
closed by 2015

5. Project Discovery
• Ofgem’s investigation into future security
of supply from existing market
arrangements over the coming decade
• Verdict: Lights may go out in 2015
• Impact: Drive for more local generation
capacity, independent of imports

6. Climate change
The world is warming up
because of the increase
in GHG emissions
This is bad
There is no international
consensus on what to do
about it
That is bad too

7. CC and the EU
• Some steps agreed to reduce GHG emissions
within the EU
• Regulation introduced to drive:
– Greater energy efficiency
– Greener energy generation:
• Electricity
• Heat Focus on
• Transport renewables
More embedded
power

8. CC and organic waste
• Organic waste in landfill generates
methane as it decomposes
• Methane is a very powerful greenhouse
gas
• To reduce overall emissions, reduce the
amount of organic waste in landfill

9. UK organic waste levels
Million tonnes Municipal Commercial Total
and Industrial
Kitchen/food 6.1 5.7 11.8
Garden 6.4 4.2 10.6
Other 0 2.6 2.6
Total 12.5 12.5 25
Agricultural manures and slurries account
for a further 90 million tonnes
Source: WRAP: Realising the value of organic waste, April 2008

10. Bringing it together
Regulatory drivers Investment required Market solutions
Organic Waste Organic Waste
Organic Waste
Recycling Recycling Recycling
•EU Landfill Directive £9-11bn in new
•UK Waste & infrastructure to IVC
Emissions Trading enable UK councils
Bill to meet their 2020 EfW
•Landfill Tax landfill targets (New Pyrolosis
•Animal By-Products Energy Finance) Gasification
Regulations AD
Biomass / Wind
Renewable Energy Renewable Energy Solar / Tidal Renewable
•EU 2020 Climate & £100bn in new Energy
Energy Targets generating capacity
•UK Renewable required to meet
Obligation Order (2 UK’s 2020
ROCS to 2027) renewable targets
(BERR)

11. Collection and disposal – the
trade off

12. Ardley landfill
Traditionally the cheapest route:
•One black bin in homes
•One collection vehicle
•Low disposal costs

13. The waste hierarchy
PREFERRED

14. Uncle Bulgaria

15. Energy from waste
• Cheap collection
• Expensive
disposal
• Planning issues
– NIMBY
– NIMTOO

16. Materials recycling, Cambodia
Waste dump, Phnom Penh

17. Materials recycling, Bow
• Bywaters MRF
• Opened 2009
• Cost: £7m
• Servicing
commercial and
municipal clients
• Increases
recycling rates
• Diverts materials
from landfill

18. Organic recycling technologies
• Composting (green waste only)
• In vessel composting (food and green waste)
• Anaerobic digestion (food waste, farm slurries)
Garden waste Food waste
Composting IVC AD

19. Oxfordshire Plants

20. Ardley IVC

21. IVC, Ardley
Commissioned February 2010
Capacity: 35,000 tonnes of commingled waste per year

22. Yarnton AD

23. Anaerobic digestion process
Food Wastes
HEAT
Energy Crops
Anaerobic Gas
Slurries Digester Engine
ELECTRICITY
Organic waste
DIGESTATE
Benefits:
Diversion from Reduction in N fertiliser use Carbon positive
landfill of ABP and Methane capture. Renewable energy
non ABP organic Cost savings to farmers. CHP biomass fuel (tbc)
waste

24. Domestic biogas plant, India

25. Cooking with biogas, Nepal

26. Cyangugu, Rwanda

27. Yarnton AD construction

28. Digestate/compost management
Significant additional
environmental benefits if
successfully recycled to
land
Significant commercial
downside if mismanaged

29. HANK Y U