With BTS’s range of pre-treatment solutions yielding up to 35% more biogas, UK farmers can safely break away from the energy crop model imposed by many financial investment companiesWhat with having to select from growing crops for human consumption, animal fodder and energy production some say UK farmers are a canny bunch of future market hedge funders. Whilst they might not wear pin-striped suits, wield black umbrellas and reside in expensive tall glass-coated office blocks; decisions and predictions on soil type and crop yields, long term weather forecasting, supply and demand forecasting, fads and trends, costs and potential returns, together

with risk contingency planning, all have to be carefully taken and planned well in advance – with the subtle difference that they put their livelihood and family’s welfare on the line year-after-year. Last year we witnessed profits on crop returns damaged by an unseasonably cold Spring with widespread snows, and 2014 has started with gales force winds and prolonged rains bringing widespread saturation and flooding of farmland. However above all UK farmers are realists, almost survivalists; they need to be - they’ve been farming our lands successfully for over a thousand years – innovating, adapting and just getting on with the day job; generation-after-generation.

It is fair to say that farmers are well aware of Anaerobic Digestion – even farmers in remote territories cannot avoid the deluge of unsolicited post and wall of e-mails as they rush out to a local agricultural branch meeting only to discover that a guest speaker has been roped in to give a talk on the subject. Of course, if deployed correctly, AD is beneficial to the farming community; both environmental and commercially, and 2013 saw many UK farmers turning to the anaerobic digestion sector as a potentially safe option to best future-proof their farm business for the next 20 years; either directly investing in their own AD plant, or agreeing shot-term contracts to grow and supply AD feedstock for others.

However many are yet undecided – many do not want to simply grow 300 Hectares of Maize silage year in-year out for the next 20 years, so as to appease and provide comfort to the bank manager (aka investment company) that the Bank’s investment in a 1MWe AD plant is in safe hands – with UK farms naturally evolving over the generations to meet ever changing UK supply and demand needs as they are passed down from father to son, many wish to remain flexible and versatile – a bed fellow which bank managers may not always naturally align with once the AD die has been cast.At BTS Biogas, having installed over 165 AD plants providing a net power Continued on page 2...

To pre-treat or not to pre-treat – that is the question?

Page 2. Farming Expressgenerating capacity of over 130MWe, we fully understand the fortunes and woes of the pan-European farming community. Whilst several were happy to adopt the German mono-maize model, many were not; requiring their AD plants to be bespoke with the ability to adapt to “life-style” changes, and therefore be able to accept a wide range of agricultural feedstocks – some good, other perhaps less.After several years of evolution, three BTS Biogas technologies have come to the forefront; each enabling pre-treatment of very different, and sometimes problematic biomass not previously entertained for AD. These technologies, which when incorporated with our pioneering grit and detritus removal system, can pretty much prepare and handle any organic fermentable material - slaughterhouse wastes, industrial waste foodstuffs and household food wastes, poultry manure and litter from layers and broilers, waste straw and dried corn stalks, dried cattle manure amongst others can all be confidently pre-treated so as to enable the bacteria to access its “fermentable biomass content”.The technologies, when compared

against mono maize feedstock AD plants without pre-treatment, consistently yield 35% more biogas production – time after time – with less “fermentable biomass content” present with in the residual digestate!35% is a big and important number, and BTS Biogas has discovered that it can mean different things to different customers.

•• For those with established AD

plants experiencing power plant production issues, BTS Biogas re-powering by means of pre-treatment is now an option.

• For those will established and fully functioning AD plants, but rely on buying their feedstock in at future market prices, BTS Biogas pre-treatment will cut future feedstock purchase requirements drastically for the same power output.

• For those with established and fully functioning AD plants with a cost-effective 20-year supply of feedstock, BTS Biogas pre-treatment will effectively reduce the

parasitic electrical loading (i.e. digestion paddle-stirrers) so as to push the target CHP MWe output towards 100%.

• For those with established and fully functioning AD plants who grow their own energy crops, BTS Biogas pre-treatment will mean 35% less crops to grow, meaning 35% more land available to grow other crops for other income.

• For those thinking about AD 2014, but were reluctant to dedicate vast tracts of land to an envisaged mono-landscape enterprise, BTS Biogas pre-treatment provides a solution which effectively promotes farming as a continued varied and diversified business; enabling the farmer to chart his own destiny with the AD Plant in tow working for him.

BTS Biogas are proud of their accomplishments over the past 12 years. A CHP audit commissioned 2012 confirmed that all 165 AD plants built to date were typically generating electrical power at above 95% capacity; with our top ten plants

for 2012 reported as ranging from 98.2-99.5% - this consistency thanks largely due to the incorporation of effective pre-treatment technologies; albeit integrated with a well-designed and engineered overall holistic AD product.It is safe to say that BTS Biogas is an exclusive developer and constructor of biogas plants worldwide; possessing all the skill sets necessary to deliver AD solutions that are both environmentally and commercially successful. Our staff are knowledgeable on all aspects of the AD and farming sectors, being able to correctly assess the agronomic, biological and technical specification of an AD solution, and thereafter balance this against the customer’s long-term expectations and aspirations. Every product we design and build is bespoke to that customer and guaranteed for 25 years. With the added advantage of full-automation and remote 24/7 monitoring from our central support centre, a customer needs spend no longer than 30 minutes a day at the facility so as to fill the BIOfeeder daily…the rest of the day is theirs to use and enjoy as they wish!

Work has started to build the UK’s largest Solar Farm, thanks to the collaboration between two agricultural land specialists, law firm Thrings and rural and development land agent WebbPaton.The 230 acre solar farm, located in Didcot, will be the largest in the UK and will provide 41MW of power, which could supply 10,000 homes. It will be completed by April 2014.Acting on behalf of the landowner, Thrings and WebbPaton negotiated the lease of the land to developers INRG Solar.Leasing land for solar projects has become a popular investment for agricultural land owners, because of the level of return on offer. Thrings and WebbPaton have worked together on a number of large solar farm projects across Wiltshire and Oxfordshire over

the last three years, including a 130 acre project in Castle Eaton and a 110 acre site in Calne.Catherine Strickland, associate at Thrings, said: “Wiltshire and Oxfordshire are prime areas for solar projects due to sunlight in the south of the country and access to the National Grid to feed in the energy produced.

“The use of agricultural land for solar power is growing as traditionally they are built on brownfield sites. However, whether the site is brownfield or not, Thrings’s focus is to ensure landowners are protected and all the negotiated details are reflected in the agreed terms.“The combination of our renewable and agricultural expertise gives us unrivalled insight into the priorities of landowners during these deals and for the future of

their estate.”It is their joint focus on the benefit of renewable energy combined with ensuring that conservation is at the top of the project agenda that sets the teams above the rest.George Paton, partner at WebbPaton, commented: “Renewables are a wonderful diversification for landowners looking to increase the value of their asset and achieve a higher return per acre.“It is a relatively new sector in rural property transactions however we have already completed deals covering over 2,000 acres, many of these with Thrings, and we expect to see interest to continue.“We feel it is very important to consider the long term management and conservation of any site when negotiating the deals and so we ensure that the site is designed so it is not prominent on the

Agricultural land specialists negotiate UK’s largest Solar Farmlandscape and that bonds are written into the contracts to ensure the site is returned to its original use at the end of the lease.”The Didcot solar farm will continue to be managed as a natural pasture land grazed by sheep to encourage diversity of flora and fauna.George continued: “We have worked with a number of solicitors on renewable projects but we recommend Thrings due to their sheer knowledge, conscientiousness, communication and overall expertise. Thanks to the number of projects we have worked on together we have developed a deep understanding of the things that are likely to happen in negotiations, things that funders require and obtaining the best outcome for the landowner. In our opinion, Catherine is one of the best solar lawyers in the country.”

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Farming is to deliver one quarter of Britain’s green energy needs this decade, the National Farmers Union said.With at least one in three businesses within the agriculture industry already diversifying into renewables the NFU, which is supporting the Energy Now Expo 2014, is confident that the UK farming industry will contribute significantly to the renewables sector this decade.Jonathan Scurlock, Chief Adviser, Renewable Energy and Climate Change, NFU said: “The NFU Farm Energy Service already handles about 1500-2000 enquiries per year and we envisage this growing steadily over the next decade.“The many kinds of bioenergy and wind power are probably the largest land-based renewable energy resources in Britain and the number of farmers and landowners who are incorporating these technologies is growing. Solar PV is not far behind, with nearly 3000 megawatts installed on rooftops and land in the past three years. Of this, at least 800 MW comprises solar farms, enough to power nearly 200,000 homes[1]. Alongside data showing that wind turbines are routinely supplying 10-15% of Britain’s electricity this

winter, it is clear how far renewables have come already.”David Jacobmeyer, organiser of Energy Now Expo, an event which showcases renewable energy opportunities available to agricultural and rural communities said: “These statistics from the NFU just prove how important renewable energy has become within the agriculture industry. With more and more options becoming available to farmers and landowners, it is the perfect time to get involved.”“Energy Now Expo provides the perfect opportunity for farmers and landowners to hear and learn from some of the industry experts and anyone looking for advice on renewable energy technology should take the opportunity to attend the expo and visit the exhibition and conference streams.”The fifth annual Energy Now Expo takes place at the Telford International Centre on the 12th - 13th February 2014 and will include a large conference and exhibition featuring over 160 renewable energy product and service suppliers.Attendees to the event will be given the opportunity to participate in a multi streamed conference in which industry experts will present and discuss the very latest developments in renewable energy within the farming community.

Farming industry to deliver quarter of Britain’s green energy this decade

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