Anaerobic digesters are an environmentally friendly source of energy and valuable nutrients and means of dealing with waste, but UK farmers are still a long way behind their European counterparts, freelance journalist Sue Bradley finds.
The agricultural industry still has some way to go before it鈥檚 able to meet the NFU鈥檚 ambition to have 1,000 anaerobic digesters across the UK.
The target was set in 2011 at a time when Germany, an early adopter of the technology, had around 5,000 AD plants, a number that has more than doubled to in excess of 10,000 since then.
The total for UK farms now stands at around 500, along with a further 250 dealing with waste and wastewater management, which represents a big step in the right direction, but given the positive contribution they can make in terms of rising energy and fertiliser costs and concerns over waste disposal, many believe the British agricultural industry is missing a big opportunity.
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