Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing for the further development of small anaerobic digestion plants.

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), which came into force on 1 January 2020, gives small scale low-carbon electricity generators, including from small anaerobic digestion (AD) stations, the right to be paid for the renewable electricity they export to the grid.

AD for heat is currently supported through the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (NDRHI), which provides tariff support for biogas and biomethane plants. The RHI is due to close to new applicants on the 31st March 2021. In November 2020 BEIS published a Government Response detailing changes to the NDRHI to aid non-tariff guarantee eligible projects that were under development prior to the 17th August that may struggle to meet the 31st March 2021 application deadline due to COVID-19 related delays. Eligible projects, including on-site biogas, will be afforded an additional 12 months after scheme closure in which to submit a properly made full application.

The Green Gas Support Scheme, due to launch in Autumn 2021, will provide tariff based support for AD plants producing biomethane for injection into the gas grid. The scheme is due to run for four years.