Waste to energy projects: be prepared!

Processors considering waste-to-energy schemes must be prepared for long waits and substantially more investment than a year ago, according to one expert in the field.

Demand for anaerobic digestion equipment, for example, which uses bacteria to break down waste products in an oxygen-free environment, was rising steadily, said Peter McKendry of SLR Consulting. That meant that kit was taking longer to deliver, he said. “You can have anything between a three and 10 month delay in receiving equipment. The kits are concrete and metal and the time taken depends on where you source these materials from. Concrete is generally sourced from the UK, so that’s ok. It’s the metal that’s the issue.”

However, the biggest waiting time for waste-to-energy schemes was for planning permission, said McKendry. “This is the biggest unknown. Local authorities have no history to go by in terms of planning for these waste-based activities, because it’s a relatively new technology. Unfortunately, many local authorities don’t seem to learn from previous cases.”

In addition, McKendry said costs had risen by 10-20% over the past 12 months. And because anaerobic digesters used bacteria, they were “a biological beast” and took time to become operational. “Biological plants can be very sensitive to conditions. They often take 6-12 months to get up and running, because the bugs have to settle down.”

Another issue to consider when installing biogas facilities was the electrical connections needed to export any power they generated. If manufacturers sought to export power generated, this could be costly. This side of things was now being dealt with by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, said McKendry.

In addition, any process involving transporting waste to and from biogas facilities caused unpleasant odours and could provoke complaints from residents in the area, he said.