UK trade body the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) will today (7 December) launch its pioneering anaerobic digestion (AD) Certification Scheme at the ADBA National Conference 2017 in London.
The voluntary, industry-led scheme is designed to support operators of AD plants to improve their operational, environmental, and health and safety performance, in particular in terms of energy generation and digestate quality.
ADBA has developed the scheme, working closely with industry stakeholders including operators, developers, consultants, suppliers, insurers, regulators and other trade bodies related to the sector, who have all voiced their support for such a certification process.
The scheme includes detailed assessment criteria that will allow third-party certification bodies to verify the achievement of good practice at AD plants, and is the most comprehensive of its type.
The scheme pilot was completed in September this year, with one on-farm plant, one food waste plant, and one on-site plant for a food manufacturer taking part.
“A certification process is essential to ensuring that regulators, insurers and investors have confidence in the scheme, which offers AD operators a range of financial and regulatory benefits.”
ADBA chief executive Charlotte Morton said: “ADBA’s new AD Certification Scheme defines good practice and enables AD plants to be recognised as meeting it. A certification process is essential to ensuring that regulators, insurers and investors have confidence in the scheme, which offers AD operators a range of financial and regulatory benefits.
“Through our existing work with the industry, it is clear that operators, engineers, technology suppliers and developers are constantly seeking ways to optimise their performance. Through the scheme, we hope to reflect industry developments, provide information on how plants and suppliers can improve, and help them overcome the key barriers to good performance.
“We look forward to working with operators on our AD Certification Scheme to support them in building and running their AD plants to high standards.”
Marie Fallon, Director of Regulated Industry at the Environment Agency, said: “The Environment Agency welcomes the AD Certification Scheme as a positive intervention by the industry to improve performance in the anaerobic digestion sector.
“We share the determination in reducing pollution incidents which is a risk to the reputation of the industry. We will continue to work with ADBA to share evidence and information to achieving that goal.”
Tina Benfield, Technical Manager at the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM), said: “CIWM is pleased to see that ADBA, working with others in the AD sector, has produced a scheme that will enable operators of AD facilities to show improved professional standards of operation.
“Operators of AD plants should look to continuously improve both individually and operationally, and CIWM believes that anything which demonstrates this is a positive step forward.”
