Coalition plans a key energy role for farming

Farmers could be given a key role as energy producers under plans unveiled by Britain’s fledgling coalition government.

Ambitious plans to promote a huge increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion were announced ahead of the appointment of Tory MP Caroline Spelman as DEFRA secretary.

The coalition agreement reached by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats includes a pledge to fulfil joint ambitions to create a low-carbon economy.

A seven-page document published on Wednesday (12 May) includes a whole page dedicated to environmental policies.

Further measures to promote renewable energy include the full establishment of Feed-in Tariff (FiT) systems for electricity.

Suppliers would be required to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources, the document suggests.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the coalition agreement marked a turning point where “fine words on the environment are finally
translated into real action”.

Speaking after assuming office at DEFRA, Mrs Spelman said: “The department is responsible for many of the things that are vital to our quality of life – the food we eat, the air we breathe and how we manage the land we live on and the seas that surround our shores.

“I will work across government and beyond to respond to the challenges of increasing food production, adapting to climate change, protecting our natural environment and ensuring we live sustainably.”

Ms Spelman has served as MP for Meriden in the West Midlands since 1997. She has farming connections and was NFU sugar beet commodity secretary from 1981-4 before becoming deputy director of the International Confederation of European Beet Growers.

Farmer interest in small-scale renewable energy projects has surged over recent weeks following the launch of a FiT scheme on 1 April.

The scheme is targeted at smaller-scale wind, hydro, solar and anaerobic digestion projects less than 5MW in size. It offers index-linked payments of up to 41.3p/kWh for generated power and an additional 3p/kWh for exported surplus power.

Payments are guaranteed for up to 25 years and vary according to type and size of the system used.

Anaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which micro-organisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen to release energy.

Almost any organic material can be processed, including grass, leftover food, sewage and animal waste.

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