Biogas trade association dismayed at Rishi Sunak’s support of Oil & Gas in Scotland

Biogas trade association dismayed at Rishi Sunak’s support of Oil & Gas in Scotland

The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) reacted with dismay at the UK Government’s announcement of new licences being granted for oil and gas exploration in Scotland and the North East of England.

Charlotte Morton OBE, ADBA Chief Executive, said: “What a missed opportunity this is to invest in the development of green alternative to fossil energy, considering the need to urgently address climate change and the commitments made by the UK Government to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

And if the main objective of the Government is to ensure energy security, we made it clear to then PM Boris Johnson at the outset of the Ukraine war that anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas could play a major part in replacing oil and gas imports from Russia and other countries and strengthen the UK’s energy resilience. All of that still stands. (1)

We will be hosting a conference in Scotland in September showcasing the potential of AD and biogas in achieving energy, climate and food security – as well as job creation, and we invite government ministers to join us and see for themselves the key part our industry could play in achieving their aims.”

(1) By 2030, the UK’s AD sector could deliver its full potential, generating an estimated 55-76 TWh of biomethane – over two to three times the amount of gas the UK currently imports from Russia.

Letter to Boris Johnson press release

The ADBA Scottish Conference 2023 will take place in Edinburgh on 19th September.

-ENDS-

For further information, contact:
Jocelyne Bia, Senior Communication Consultant
e: Jocelyne.bia@adbioresources.org; tel: 020 31760592

Notes to editors

• The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) is the trade association for the UK anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas industry. ADBA’s vision is to see the full potential of the UK AD industry realised so it can help the UK achieve its emissions targets and other policy goals, creating a truly circular economy. www.adbioresources.org
•  About the AD industry
  •  There are currently 727 AD plants operational in the UK.
  • The entire industry digests approximately 46 million tonnes of organic material each year – organic material that would otherwise emit greenhouse gas if left untreated in landfill.
  • An estimated 19.7 TWh of biogas is produced each year by the AD industry – this green gas is either used to generate electricity and heat via a combined heat and power (CHP) unit or upgraded to biomethane and injected directly into the national gas grid. This is enough to heat 1.6 million UK homes.
  • The industry currently delivers 1% greenhouse gas savings in the UK every year.
  • An estimated 4,800 people are currently employed in the AD and biogas industry in the UK.
  • Fully deployed, by 2030, the UK AD and biogas industry expected to:
    • create 30,000 direct and 30,000 indirect jobs.
    • save the UK 27m t of CO2 equivalent = taking 1/3rd of all cars off the road, by 2030.
    • heat 4.5-6.4 million UK homes with the 8 billion m3 of biomethane generated.
• How AD works