energy production on farms through anaerobic digestion ... · pdf filedrying farm house silage...

UK Data Archive

Study Number 6686

Energy Production on Farms through Anaerobic Digestion, 2007-2010

USER GUIDE

Integrated systems for farm diversification into energy production by anaerobic

digestion: implications for rural development, land use & the environmentProf. Charles Banks

School of Civil Engineering & the EnvironmentUniversity of Southampton

Prof. Guy Poppy

School of BiologyUniversity of Southampton

Prof. Alan Swinbank

Centre for Agricultural StudiesUniversity of Reading

Project aim:To examine the potential for energy production by anaerobic digestion (AD) on farms, and the

contribution this could make to rural development and diversification of agricultural practice.contribution this could make to rural development and diversification of agricultural practice.

Crop

gas scrubbing

transport & spreading

digestion

vehicle fuel

Sun

biomass

biogas

digestate

CHP

CO2

vehicle fuel

heat & electricity

cutting, collection &

transport

energy

material

electricity

AD of crops can result in both CO2

and energy cycles which are

closed. Energy, produced in the form of biogas, can be converted

to heat and electricity (CHP) used

in the process, and to vehicle fuel

used in crop production and digestate distribution. CO2

released in the production and

use of the fuel was initially

absorbed by the crops used

making the process carbon neutral. CHP

crops

plant & animal diversity

technical & economic models

large and small scale digesterscrops & cropping

Anaerobic digestion (AD) can be used

to provide renewable energy from most

organic material.

AD produces 2 outputs:

• energy in the form of biogas

• digestate a source of organic

fertiliser.

The project will investigate changing

land use to energy production using

AD including:

• optimising crop selection

• effects on the environment,

areas of research

Project objectives:

Kalmari Farm Finland

Raw slurry storage

Digestate storage

Biogas vehicle

fuel pump

Crop drying Farm

house

Silage store

Animal housing

Anaerobic digester

The use and benefits of anaerobic

digestion at farm scale have been

demonstrated at the Kalmari farm in Finland. The farmer digests

cattle slurry and crops produced

on the farm, with some imported

chocolate waste. The biogas is used in CHP to provide electricity

and heat for use on the farm plus

providing vehicle fuel used by the

farmer and sold locally.

vehicle fuel

biogascrops

digestate

land use

social impacts (employment, community, transport, visual)

• effects on the environment,

• social impacts (economic and visual)

• public and farmer perception of the

use of AD.

Crop based AD for energy:

• provides alternative employment

• can increase diversity through the

use of a wide range of crops

• produces a fuel which clean,

environmentally friendly and has

multiple uses.

• Assessment of potential environmental

benefits and impacts of nutrient management through fertiliser substitution

• Assessment of benefits to environmental

protection (including GHG and ammonia emissions) on farms through introduction of AD

• Development of methods to assess potential benefits to biodiversity in a wider context as a result of diversification into

farm energy production through AD

Environmental

• To assess whether farm energy self-

sufficiency (or partial self-sufficiency) is achievable and more desirable than energy export off the farm

• Social, community and economic benefits of farm diversification to farmers and the wider rural community

• Assessment of acceptability of diversification into energy production by AD from a public and farmers' perspective and

responses to new patterns of land use

Societal Issues

• Develop an energy-based model of crop

types available for energy farming within the UK

• Model the commercial profitability of AD

energy production at a farm level within both large and medium-sized arable and dairy systems scenarios

• Energy and economic analysis for co-digestion of slurry, farm-produced wastes, and/or imported organic wastes

Modelling

• Construct a technical database of

processing and engineering options for farm-based biogas production

• Analyse technical factors that

influence the end use of biogas as a fuel source

• Identify crop species and growth

stages suited to energy production through anaerobic digestion

Technical Issues

-

Director Richard Tranter

Centre for Agricultural Strategy

School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Earley Gate, PO Box 237

Reading RG6 6AR

phone +44 (0)118 378 8152

fax +44 (0)118 935 3423

email [email protected]

UNIVERSITY OF READING SURVEY ON ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ON FARMS

What is anaerobic digestion?

Anaerobic digestion (AD) uses special bacteria to break down organic matter, in the absence of oxygen,

to produce biogas, containing methane, which is burned to generate heat and electricity. AD plants use a

range of crop residues and animal wastes, such as cattle and pig slurries, as well as crops suitable for

food and livestock feeds, such as wheat, vegetables, grass and maize silage. Garden wastes and waste

food from businesses and households are also suitable. A combination of such materials is required to

produce biogas effectively. The residues from the digestion process can be applied to fields as fertilizer.

Governments all over Europe are encouraging farmers to adopt this technology (see picture below),

because it captures greenhouse gas emissions from organic materials that would otherwise de-compose

in the open and because it provides a source of renewable energy.

A. Your views about the environment and farming

1. There are a number of environment-related challenges facing society today. Please rank each of the

challenges below, on a 6-point scale, according to how important you think each of them is: (please tick

where 5 = very important; and 0 = not important).

Very

Important 6

5

4

3

2

Not Important

1

Biodiversity loss (Q1_a)

Food security (Q1_b)

Climate change (Q1_c)

Energy security (Q1_d)

CONFIDENTIAL

2. Renewable energy, such as energy from biomass, is one way of combating both climate change and

pollution and providing secure energy sources. How do you feel about the use of human food and animal

feed crops to generate such energy? (please tick the response that best reflects your views):

Strongly

Agree

(Q2)

Agree

Neither Agree Nor Disagree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

3. Do you think that farmers should receive payments from the state for any of the following

reasons? (please tick the most appropriate response)

To support farm incomes:

Strongly Agree

(Q3_a)

Agree


Disagree

Strongly Disagree

To improve animal welfare:

Strongly Agree

(Q3_b)

Agree


Disagree

Strongly Disagree

To provide environmental improvements:

Strongly Agree

(Q3_c)

Agree


Disagree

Strongly Disagree

To develop new enterprises that will reduce their reliance on subsidies in the future:

Strongly Agree

(Q3_d)

Agree


Disagree

Strongly Disagree

B. Your views about anaerobic digestion on farms

4. Generating energy through anaerobic digestion (AD) on farms offers a number of potential

benefits. Please rank each of these benefits below, on a 6-point scale, according to how important you

think each of them is (please tick, where 5 = very important; and 0 = not important):

Very

Important 6

5

4

3

2

Not Important

1

It helps combat climate change by reducing methane emissions from agriculture

(Q4_a)

It generates more income for farmers (Q4_b)

It contributes to energy security (Q4_c)

It reduces need for landfill, by processing organic wastes

(Q4_d)

It generates more employment on farms and thus helps the rural economy

(Q4_e)

It reduces pollution of ground water, streams and rivers

(Q4_f)

It reduces dependence on inorganic fertilizers

(Q4_g)

It reduces disease risk from animal slurries (Q4_h)

CONFIDENTIAL

5. In your view, how significant are the following possible problems arising from AD on farms?

(please tick, where 5 = very significant problem and 0 = not a problem):

Very significant problem

6

5

4

3

2

Not a

problem 1

AD plant and equipment is visually intrusive (Q5_a)

AD plants generate strong odours (Q5_b)

Storing large amounts of gas on farms is dangerous

(Q5_c)

Importing wastes onto farms will generate a lot of lorry traffic on rural roads

(Q5_d)

AD requires more housing of animals to capture manures

(Q5_e)

AD would further damage the image of farming

(Q5_f)

6. Which of the following organic materials do you think should be used in farm-based anaerobic

digesters to generate energy? (please tick):

a. Cattle and pig manure:

Yes (Q6_a) No

Maybe

b. Food crops for human consumption e.g. wheat for bread making:

Yes (Q6_b) No

Maybe

c. Food crops for animals e.g. grass and wheat for feeding animals:

Yes (Q6_c) No Maybe

d. Waste food and garden waste imported onto the farm

Yes (Q6_d) No Maybe

7. AD plants generate organic residues (called digestate) that farmers spread on their land as fertilizer.

In your view, which of the following words and phrases best describes this digestate? (please tick, where

5 = very appropriate and 0 = very inappropriate):

Very appropriate

6

5

4

3

2

Very inappropriate

1

Clean (Q7_a)

Artificial (Q7_b)

Inorganic (Q7_c)

Safe (Q7_d)

Contaminant (Q7_e)

Natural (Q7_f)

Organic (Q7_g)

Volatile (Q7_h)

8. AD digestate is rich in plant fibre and plant nutrients and has a number of potential uses. Which of the following products derived from digestate would you buy? (please tick)

Yes No Possibly Don’t know

CONFIDENTIAL

Food grown on land fertilized with digestate (Q8_a)

Garden compost made from digestate (Q8_b)

Animal (e.g. horses, or pet rabbits) bedding made from dried digestate

(Q8_c)

CONFIDENTIAL 9. Are you aware of a farm-based anaerobic digestion plant in your area?

Yes (Q9) No Don’t know

The Government would like more farmers to take up AD as a way of combating climate change and

generating renewable energy, but uptake so far is very low. Surveys have shown that the main reason

for this is the very high capital costs of building the plants, which can be as high as £2 million per farm.

The Government could use tax-revenues to pay part of this capital cost as a grant to farmers.

10. Would you be willing to pay an extra

£1 in tax per year to pay for grants to

encourage farmers to take up AD?

Yes (Q10) No No opinion

11. If ‘Yes’ to question 10, would you be

willing to pay an extra £2 in tax per year

to pay for grants to encourage farmers to

take up AD?

Yes No No opinion

12. If ‘No’ to question 10, would you be

willing to pay an extra 50p in tax per year

to pay for grants to encourage farmers to

take up AD?

Yes No No opinion

13. Please describe briefly the reasoning behind your answers to questions 10 to 12.

(Q10_expl)

C. About you

14. Are you? Male (Q14) Female 15. Your age?

(Q15)

16. The age you left full-

time education?

(Q16) 17. Do you have any training in, or

experience of, farming?

Yes (Q17) No

18. Your employment status?

Student (Q18) In part-time work

Self-employed Retired

In full-time work Out of work

19. Which of the categories below is closest to your annual household income BEFORE tax?

Up to £20,000 (Q19)

£20,001 - £40,000

£40,001 - £60,000

Over £60,000

CONFIDENTIAL

Additional variables and variable coding

Variable Description Variable coding

ID Respondents unique ID number

Day Days taken to return the questionnaire

A_type Location of respondent residence Rural or urban

Value the value of the property the consumer lives in

0=Under £10,000, 1=£10,000 to £20,000, 2= £20,001 to £30,000, 3= £30,001 to £40,000, 4= £40,001 to £50,000 , 5= £50,001 to £60,000 , 6= £60,001 to £70,000, 7= £70,001 to £80,000 , 8= £80,001 to £90,000, 9= £90,001 to £100,000 , 10= £100,001 to £120,000, 11= £120,001 to £150,000, 12= £150,001 to £200,000, 13= £200,001 to £300,000, 14= £300,001 to £400,000 , 15=£400,001 to £500,000, 16= £500,001 to £600,000, 17= £600,001 to £800,000 ,18= £800,001 to £1,000,000, 19 = £1,000,001 to £1,250,000 , 20= £1,250,001 to £1,500,000 , 21= £1,500,001 to £1,750,000 , 22= £1,750,001 to £2,000,000 , 23= Greater than £2,000,000

Q1a views about the biodiversity loss 0=no answer, 1=not important, to 6=very important.

Q1b views about the food security 0=no answer, 1=not important, to 6=very important.

Q1c views about climate change 0=no answer, 1=not important, to 6=very important.

Q1d views about energy security 0=no answer, 1=not important, to 6=very important.

Q2 views on use of human food and animal feed crops for bio-energy production.

0=no answer, 1=strongly agree, 2= agree, 3= neither agree nor disagree, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree

Q3a views on farmers receiving payments to support farm incomes

0=no answer,1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neither agree nor disagree, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree.

Q3b views on farmers receiving payments to improve animal welfare


Q3c views on farmers receiving payments to provide environmental improvements.


Q3d views on farmers receiving payments to develop new enterprises to reduce their reliance on subsidies in the future


Q4a importance of AD plants helping combat climate change by methane emission reduction

0= no answer, 1= not important, to 6= very important.

Q4b importance of AD plants in generating more income for farmers.


CONFIDENTIAL

Q4c importance of AD plants in contributing to energy security.


Q4d importance of AD plants in reducing need for landfill.


Q4e importance of AD plants in generating more employment on farms.


Q4f importance of AD plants in reducing pollution.


Q4g importance of AD plants in reducing dependence on inorganic fertilisers.


Q4h importance of AD plants in reducing the disease risk from animal slurries.


Q5a significance of visual intrusion problem arising from AD on farms.

0= no answer, 1=not a problem, to 6= very significant problem

Q5b significance of possible odour problems from AD on farms.


Q5c significance of risks from storing large amounts of gas on farms.


Q5d significance of possible increase in traffic to and from farms.


Q5e significance of need to house animals to capture manure for use in AD.


Q5f significance of problem relating to AD damaging the image of farming.


Q6a views on use of cattle and pig manure in AD plants.

0=no answer, 1=yes, 2=no, 3=maybe.

Q6b views on use of food crops for human consumption as AD feedstocks.


Q6c views on use of animal feed for as AD feedstocks.


Q6d views on use of waste food and garden waste as AD feedstocks.


Q7a The terms ‘clean’ best describes digestate from AD plants?

0= no answer, 1=very inappropriate, to 6= very appropriate

Q7b The terms ‘artificial’ best describes digestate from AD plants?


Q7c The terms ‘inorganic’ best describes digestate from AD plants?


Q7d The term ‘safe’ best describes digestate from AD plant?


Q7e The term ‘contaminant’ best describes digestate from AD plant?


CONFIDENTIAL

Q7f The term ‘natural’ best describes digestate from AD plants?


Q7g The term ‘organic’ best describes digestate from AD plants?


Q7h The term ‘volatile’ best describes digestate from AD plants?


Q8a Would respondents buy food grown on land fertilised with digestate?

0= no answer, 1=yes, 2=no, 3=possibly, 4=don't know

Q8b Would respondent buy garden compost made from digestate?


Q8c Would respondent buy animal bedding made from dried digestate?


Q9 awareness of farm-based AD plants near where they live?

0=no answer, 1=yes, 2=no, 3= don't know.

Q10 Amount of extra tax willing respondent willing to pay for grants to encourage farmers to take up AD

Highest monetary value (£) that respondents would be willing to pay in additional tax.

Q14 Gender of respondent 0=no answer, 1=male, 2=female.

Q15 Current age of respondent

Q16 age on leaving full-time education.

Q17 Does respondent have training in, or experience of, farming

0=no answer,1= yes, 2=no

Q18 employment status 0=no answer, 1=student, 2=self-employed, 3=in full-time work, 4=in part-time work, 5=retired, 6=out of work.

Q19 annual household income 0=no answer, 1=up to £20,000, 2=£20,001-£40,000, 3=£40,001-£60,000, 4= over £60,000.

Q10_expl Reason for choosing monetary values provided in question 10

Alphanumeric variable.

-

Director Richard Tranter

Centre for Agricultural Strategy

School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Earley Gate, PO Box 237

Reading RG6 6AR

phone +44 (0)118 378 8152

fax +44 (0)118 935 3423

email [email protected]

December 2008

Dear Sir / Madam

UNIVERSITY OF READING SURVEY ON PRODUCING BIOGAS ON FARMS FOR FUEL

Over recent months there has been much discussion about farmers being involved in the

production of bio-fuels to both raise incomes and substitute for oil. At present, we are engaged

in an enquiry into the opportunities for producing biogas for fuel on farms on behalf of the

Rural Economy and Land Use Programme of the Research Councils and Defra (www.relu.ac.uk).

The relevant rural and agricultural organisations and agencies are aware of the project.

We are writing to invite you to take part in this important project. It is being carried out by

the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading, the largest

such institution in the UK and one which has contributed much to British agriculture over 110

years. Whilst we are making much use of past studies, and carrying out our own desk-based

calculations, we need information from a national spread of farm businesses. Thus, we are

seeking the help of some 2000 farmers and landowners in total confidence.

The questionnaire which we would like you to fill in has been designed to take as little time as

possible. However, we realise it may be a nuisance and apologise for this now. Nevertheless,

the search for alternative enterprises and cheaper fuel is crucially important and it is our belief

that, by filling in the questionnaire, you will be making a direct contribution to the framing of

effective policies and the provision of sound advice and information.

The enclosed questionnaire is in three parts:

A. Questions about you and the farm business you run;

B. Questions about your experiences with diversification and alternative enterprises; and

C. Questions to determine whether biogas production would fit in on your farm and whether

you would consider investing in the necessary plant.

We do hope you will be able to find time to answer our questions and to return the completed

form in the reply-paid envelope provided. As already stated, your answers will, of course, be

treated in the strictest confidence. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish.

Yours faithfully

Richard Tranter

Director

CONFIDENTIAL

Part A If possible, we would like the main decision-maker to answer this. So that we can get some idea

of what sort of farm business you run, would you please tell us about your current situation (i.e.

2008 harvest year): (Dataset variable names indicated in RED below)

1. Total area farmed:

of which: and under what arrangements:

Cereals (Q1_2) ha Owner-occupied (Q1_9) ha

Other arable crops (Q1_3) ha Share-farmed (Q1_10) ha

Leys (Q1_4) ha Land let out by you (Q1_11) ha

Permanent pasture (Q1_5) ha Rented on full agricultural tenancy (Q1_12) ha

Rough grazing (Q1_6) ha Rented on farm business tenancy (Q1_13) ha

{Other(specify) (Q1_8)} (Q1_7) ha Rented on other arrangements (Q1_14) ha

2. Current livestock numbers:

Dairy cattle (Q2_1) Finishing pigs (Q2_5)

Beef cattle (Q2_2) Laying hens (Q2_6)

Sheep (Q2_3) {Other poultry(please specify) (Q2_9)} (Q2_7)

Breeding sows (Q2_4) (Other livestock(please specify) (Q2_10)} (Q2_8)

3. Which description best fits your type of farming? (please tick all that apply)

Dairying (Q3_1) Mixed livestock and arable (Q3_6)

LFA sheep/cattle (Q3_2) Pigs/poultry (Q3_7)

Lowland sheep/cattle (Q3_3) Horticulture (Q3_8)

General cropping (Q3_4) {Other (please specify) (Q3_10)} (Q3_9)

Specialist cereals (Q3_5)

4. Are you a full-time or part-time farmer: Full-time Part-time

Total number of regular workers including you and your family : Full-time Part-time

5. What is your typical annual spend on contractors?

6. What is your role on the farm? Farmer Partner Manager Other

When did you start in this position?

7. What is the legal status of your farm business?

Sole proprietorship Company Other

Family partnership Other partnership

8. Your age: Your gender: male female

Definitely Very likely Possibly Unlikely Definitely not 9. Have you identified a successor? 10. The age you left full-time education:

Have you had any formal agricultural education? Yes No

(Q1_1 ) ha

(Q4_1) (Q4_2

)

(Q4_3) (Q4_4)

£ (Q5)

(Q6_1) (Q6_2) (Q6_3) (Q6_4)

)

(Q6_5)

(Q7_3)

(Q7_1) (Q7_2)

(Q7_4)

(Q7_5)

(Q8_1) (Q8_2) (Q8_3)

(Q9_1) (Q9_2) (Q9_3) (Q9_4) (Q9_5)

(Q10_1) (Q10_2)

CONFIDENTIAL 11. What proportion of the income of your household in a typical

year comes from sources other than the farm business?

If any other source, what is the nature of it? 12. Please indicate how well your business is doing by ticking one of the following statements:

At the moment my business is not profitable and may not survive (Q12_1)

At the moment my business is not profitable but can survive for a while (Q12_2)

Profits are down, but my business should be able to weather this crisis (Q12_3)

I am managing to maintain my profit level (Q12_4)

I have managed to increase profits (Q12_5)

13. Do you think you will still be farming in ten years time? Yes No If No, which of these statements best describes your likely situation in ten years time?

You will have retired at the normal age (Q13_2) having:

sold your farm (Q13_5)

You will have taken early retirement (Q13_3) given up your tenancy (Q13_6)

You will have taken up other employment

(Q13_4) passed your farm to a successor (Q13_7)

rented out your farm (Q13_8)

abandoned the land (Q13_9)

Part B So that we can get some idea about your experience and interest in diversification activities and

agri-environment schemes, would you please tell us: 14. Have you applied, or are you planning to apply, to the Entry Level and/or Higher Level Environmental

Stewardship Scheme? (please tick one)

No (Q14_1) Planning to apply to Entry Level (Q14_4)

Applied to Entry Level (Q14_2) Planning to apply to both Entry and Higher Level

(Q14_5)

Applied to both Entry and Higher Level

(Q14_3)

15. Do you still have a live CSS agreement? Yes No 16. Do you still have a live ESA agreement? Yes No 17. Are you in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ)? Yes No If Yes, what proportion of your land is in a NVZ? 18. What proportion, if any, of your land is organic? 19. Have you diversified into any non-traditional farming enterprises that use farm land, labour or capital?

(please tick all that apply)

Growing energy crops (miscanthus or coppice)

(Q19_1) On farm food processing/grading/packaging

(Q19_7)

(Q11_1) %

(Q11_2)

(Q13_1)

(Q17)

(Q17_2) %

(Q18) %

(Q15)

(Q16)

CONFIDENTIAL Industrial OSR on set-aside land (Q19_2) Direct sales (including farm shop) (Q19_8)

B&B accommodation (Q19_3) Contracting or haulage (Q19_9)

Caravans (Q19_4) Equine (Q19_10)

Holiday cottages (Q19_5) {Other (please specify): (Q19_12)} (Q19_11)

Residential or commercial property lets (Q19_6)

20. Have you previously investigated the potential of producing biogas for fuel on your farm? Yes No

21. Do you currently have a slurry management problem? Yes No

(Q20)

(Q21)

CONFIDENTIAL

Part C Please carefully read the following explanation of what on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD) is. Then answer the questions below:

AD is a proven technology that uses natural bacteria to ferment organic material, in a closed vessel, to produce biogas and bio-fertiliser. The biogas (largely methane) can be used directly to provide heat, electricity via a combined heat and power unit, or can be cleaned for use as vehicle fuel or injection into the national gas grid. Benefits of AD include the capture of methane that would otherwise be emitted from materials as they decompose and that AD leads to a reduction in the odour of raw slurry whilst reducing the number of pathogens and viable weed seeds. Because AD does not reduce the nutrient content of material put through it, any residues can be used as bio-fertiliser with improved nutrient availability as compared with raw slurry.

AD can be deployed at scales from a few tens of kWs to several MWs depending on the availability of biomass material as feedstock. Farm derived feedstocks include animal slurries and any crops currently grown for silage including wheat, maize, and grasses. Where available, imported feedstocks, including food wastes, can be used and may provide a gate fee income. Little financial data for the UK is yet available. However, a medium-sized operation using feedstock equivalent to the slurry from 200 cows and maize silage from some 350 ha might require an investment of £400,000 which, allowing for the cost of finance, would produce a net return of £300 per ha per year from selling electricity.

22. Would you consider investing in a biogas digester in the next 5 years? Yes No Maybe 23. Please indicate by a tick against this list of possible benefits of adopting AD how important they seem to you:

Very important

Important

Not very important

Of no importance

Improve farm profit (Q23_1)

Reduce pollution / contamination risk (Q23_2)

Reduce farm’s carbon footprint (Q23_3)

{Other reason (please state): (Q23_5)} (Q23_4)

24. Please indicate by a tick against this list of possible obstacles to AD how important they seem to you:

Very important

Important

Not very important

Of no importance

The returns seem too low (Q24_1)

Establishment costs seem too high (Q24_2)

I don’t think I could learn how to run it (Q24_3)

I don’t have enough spare labour to operate it (Q24_4)

The residues would not be worthwhile as a fertiliser (Q24_5)

My tenancy agreement would not permit it (Q24_6)

Difficulty obtaining planning permission (Q24_7)

Growing feedstock would disrupt my rotation (Q24_8)

Little information available (Q24_9)

{Other reason (please state): (Q24_11)} (Q24_10)

25. If you were to install a digester, do you think you could Yes No do much of the building work yourself to reduce costs? 26. If you were to install a digester for biogas production, please insert below the area you might plant for

feedstock on the different sorts of land on your farm:

Area (ha)

Cereal land (Q26_1)

Land growing other arable crops (Q26_2)

(Q22)

(Q25)

CONFIDENTIAL

Land growing leys (Q26_3)

Land under permanent pasture (Q26_4)

Rough grazing land (Q26_5)

{Other (specify) (Q26_7)} (Q26_6)

Thank you for your help. Please return the questionnaire in the reply-paid envelope.

CONFIDENTIAL

Additional variables and variable coding

IDNUM – unique ID number for each observation RETURN – number of days taken to return questionnaire Q1_8 – specification of other land uses (alphanumeric variable) Q2_9 – specification of other types of poultry (alphanumeric variable) Q2_10 – specification of other types of livestock (alphanumeric variable) Q10_2 – coded as: 1=yes; 0=no. Q13_1 – coded as: 1=yes; 0=no. Q15 – coded as: 1=yes; 0=no. Q16 – coded as: 1=yes; 0=no. Q17 – coded as: 1=yes; 0=no. Q19_q12 - Specification of diversification into other non-traditional farming enterprises Q20 – coded as: 1=yes; 0=no. Q22 – coded as: 1=yes; 0=no; 2=maybe. Q23_1 to Q23_4 – Coded as: 1=very important; 2=important; 3=Not very important; of no importance. Q23_5 – specification of other benefits of adopting AD. Q24_1 to Q24_10 – Coded as: 1=very important; 2=important; 3=Not very important; of no importance. Q24_11– specification of other obstacles of adopting AD. Q25 – coded as: 1=yes; 0=no. Q26_7 – specification of other types of land that might be used to provide feedstock for AD. SPARE1 – contains any additional comments made anywhere on the questionnaire. SPARE2 – contains any additional comments made anywhere on the questionnaire.

Energy production on farms through Anaerobic Digestion

This Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) project explored the potential for bioenergy productionthrough on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD), and the contribution this could make to rural developmentand diversification of agricultural practice.

The research, undertaken by the Universities of Southampton and Reading, addressed policy,economic, technological and environmental issues. Its aims were to:

· carry out a detailed analysis of regulatory measures in the European Community and thosespecific to the UK that influence the development of bioenergy and biofuel production

· identify drivers and obstacles to the development of on-farm digestion as part of a wider strategyfor rural development and for meeting cross compliance criteria

· assess the technology options and their compatibility with farming practices· develop rigorous models for the economics, energetics and land use implications of

diversification into on-farm energy production using energy crops, agricultural residues andwastes

· assess the benefits and potential drawbacks for environmental protection and sustainableagricultural practice, using novel environmental risk-based analysis methodologies

· seek farmers' opinions on diversification and renewable energy production using AD, and explorethe potential benefits to the wider rural community from uptake of this technology in an integratedfarming system

The project involved two industrial partners offering a depth of experience in biogas technology,and a number of farmers interested in developing on-farm digestion.

page last modified 05/10/2010

AD4RD-anaerobic digestion in an integrated farming environment http://www.ad4rd.soton.ac.uk/

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