Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of small-scale anaerobic digestion plants, for farm waste.
The Government supports anaerobic digestion (AD). AD can reduce greenhouse gas emissions (such as methane) from on-farm waste when best practice is used.
Government supports AD for electricity through the Feed in Tariff and Contract for Difference schemes. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy is currently consulting on the new Smart Export Guarantee which would allow a route to market for small scale AD.
AD is also supported by the Renewable Heat Incentive which encourages the uptake of renewable forms of heating. In May 2018, Government introduced a Renewable Heat Incentive tariff uplift for the biomethane sector, encouraging the use of waste and residue feedstocks for AD.