Newcastle University

A state-of-the-art anaerobic digester which converts manure from pigs and cattle into green energy is set to be installed at Cockle Park Farm by Newcastle University thanks to an £860,000 cash injection from regional development agency One North East.

Being set up to help farms become more sustainable, the aim is to work with North East farmers, land managers and other related businesses to find new ways of producing renewable energy from waste.

Joint funded by the university and ONE through its Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), the anaerobic digester will form part of the new Centre for Renewable Energy from Land (CREEL) being launched by Newcastle University.

Project lead Dr Paul Bilsborrow, based in the university’s School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, said: “A great deal of work has gone into planning this project so it’s very exciting that we have  finally  received both funding and planning permission for this project.

“Anaerobic digestion offers huge potential in terms of utilizing the methane from animal waste and converting it into renewable energy which will be used to heat and power buildings on farm.

“By working together with the agricultural industry we hope to develop new ways of making anaerobic digestion a viable process for uptake by farms across the UK.”

Anaerobic digestion is a process by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen to produce a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas which is suitable for energy production.

The residual digestate can be used as a soil conditioner and a nutrient source and offers considerable potential for farmers to reduce their fertilizer budget.

Based at the university’s Cockle Park Farm in Northumberland, the aim will be to use the new anaerobic plant to show how waste from pig, dairy and beef units can be used to produce heat, electricity and organic fertilizer.

The company who will be installing the system are Anaerobic Energy Ltd who are a spin-out company from CPI (Centre for Process Innovation based at Wilton on Teesside) and Newcastle University and work is set to begin next month.

One North East’s RDPE Senior Specialist Kirsten Young, who has helped to develop the project, said: “Anaerobic digestion offers considerable potential for farms and rural businesses in the production of energy and the management of animal manures and other waste streams.

“However the number of facilities on farms in the UK is limited as the technology has predominantly been used for the management of animal manures rather than energy production.  It is an area that is waiting to be exploited bearing in mind that the UK has 150,000 full-time and 200,000 part-time farms.

“The up-take of such technologies by a small proportion of these businesses would lead to a significant contribution of renewable energy to the UK market so it is very exciting that the region is at the forefront of this project.”