Most AD plants in 2013 spread digestate straight to land without separating it first. A survey found digestate management cost the average plant -£3.73/tonne, totaling an estimated £7.9 million cost to the industry. As AD capacity increases, the amount of digestate produced is also growing rapidly at a time when key support mechanisms for the industry like feed-in tariffs are decreasing. There is potential to increase the value of digestate fiber from £5/tonne as fertilizer to £100/tonne by using it as a horticultural growing medium.

1. DIGESTATE MANAGEMENT
– USES OF DIGESTATE
#UKADBiogas @adbioresources
CHAIR:
DR NICK CHEFFINS, PEAKHILL ASSOCIATES
PANEL:
DR MARY DIMAMBRO, CAMBRIDGE ECO
DR DAVID TOMPKINS, AQUA ENVIRO
DR QUINTON FIVELMAN, ADFERTECH

2. Digestate Management
Uses of Digestate

3. A survey of the UK Anaerobic Digestion industry in
2013 – WRAP 2014
Most AD plants in 2013 didn’t separate their digestate but spread straight to land
Most didn’t disclose financial arrangements
Those that did reported a financial impact range from -£13 to £3 / tonne with an average of -£3.73
Thus 2.12m tonnes of digestate may have a net cost to the AD industry of £7.9
million!
Surely we can do better
nick.cheffins@peakhill-associates.co.uk

4. Rapid increase in AD capacity
nick.cheffins@peakhill-associates.co.uk
• A further 80 + have
since joined the
fleet
• The overall output
of Digestate is
therefore increasing

5. Rapid decrease in key support mechanisms e.g. Feed In
Tariffs
nick.cheffins@peakhill-associates.co.uk
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00
Changes in AD FIT
<250kWe 250- 500kwe >500kWe

6. A survey of the UK Anaerobic Digestion industry in 2013 – WRAP
2014
nick.cheffins@peakhill-associates.co.uk
• 24,000 tonnes of fibre
is equivalent to around
60,000 cu m of
horticultural growing
medium
• At £47 / cu m = £2.82
million

7. Hardy nurserystock grown in media
containing 50% AD Digestate Fibre
nick.cheffins@peakhill-associates.co.uk
Potential to take a
material worth
about £5 / tonne
for its fertilizer
value to £100 /
tonne utilising its
organic structure
and fertilizer
release
characteristics as a
horticultural
growing medium

8. Anaerobic Digestion
process
How to deal
profitably
with the
liquid phase?
nick.cheffins@peakhill-associates.co.uk

9. DIGESTATE MANAGEMENT
– USES OF DIGESTATE
#UKADBiogas @adbioresources
CHAIR:
DR NICK CHEFFINS, PEAKHILL ASSOCIATES
PANEL:
DR MARY DIMAMBRO, CAMBRIDGE ECO
DR DAVID TOMPKINS, AQUA ENVIRO
DR QUINTON FIVELMAN, ADFERTECH