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ADBA gives direct support to AD operators, plant managers, plant owners and developers. We provide our own expertise and facilitate collaboration amongst experts, officials and peers.

Free Information Sessions

We organise group meetings in-person locally where possible and online for local and national audiences. Experts present on latest trends and analysis. We encourage operators to ask questions and troubleshoot with regulators, ADBA staff and each other prior to, during, and after the event. Be sure to check our events listings regularly. Or sign-up to our mailing list.

Site Visits

Our team travels to AD plants around the UK and overseas to exchange best practice and develop relationships.

Networking with Services and Suppliers

ADBA matches operators with service providers, product suppliers and feedstock suppliers. Operators can proactively search through our membership lists. We also set up events, such as our annual World Biogas Expo, where suppliers exhibit their ware and foster relationships, and we manage a “Feedstock Finder” service.

Working Groups

We gather operators to tackle industry issues and promote their voice to policymakers. For each topic, we assemble a Working Group, such as: Agriculture; Food Waste; Digestate; Biomethane-to-Grid; Training, Safety and Environment Management (TSEM); and Water.

Training

ADBA’s network of experts put on courses on the latest and most salient topics, such as digestate, health & safety, plant optimisation, clamping and feedstocks.

Best Practice

ADBA founded the Anaerobic Digestion Certification Scheme (ADCS). This is unique in that it assesses the all-round safety, environmental and operational performance of AD plants. It encompasses all our work on improving standards in the industry and ensuring best practice.

Incentives

The AD sector has tremendous potential for carbon abatement in the hardest to decarbonise sectors. On behalf of AD plants, ADBA lobbies to Government for subsidies in heat, electricity and transport.

Regulations

Our specialist team dissect the latest regulations, ensuring our members understand and comply. We also gather member insight to influence regulatory consultations.

Tendering

AD operators and developers, institutions and local governments open up projects for our members to bid for business.

Benchmarking

By gathering and anonymising data, we create snapshots of industry trends and forecasts. For example, we are currently collating and analysis a range of digestate data and can benchmark participants submissions against our data.

The AD Certification Scheme (ADCS) is the only certification scheme in the UK that assesses the all-round safety, environmental and operational performance of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. It is a key element of ADBA’s best practice programme, which encompasses all our work on improving standards in the industry. The Scheme provides an independent audit process and report, which is a useful tool for operators to ensure they are meeting required standards and identify how they can improve. Developed by ADBA with extensive engagement with industry stakeholders, it aims to support the industry to be a mature, safe and thriving sector that delivers consistently excellent projects and continued professionalism.

Find out more on the ADCS website.

ADBA’s network of experts put on courses on the latest and most salient topics. Here are examples of our recent training and Learning & Development events, many of which are run annually:

Digestate

In this Learning & Development event, attendees  considered how digestate is more than an inevitable by-product of the anaerobic digestion process. Really, it can be turned into an asset that can cut costs and even drive profits. The group found out about digestate uses, effects on soil, land-banking, enhancement technology, appeal to farmers, agronomy, post-harvest applications, regulations and ammonia emissions. Attendees heard directly from industry experts and learned from case studies.

Health and Safety

This training course was designed specifically for AD plants and intended to cover all key areas of plant Health and Safety. It included hazardous substances; machinery and equipment; electrical safety; transport safety; people and training and much more, — plus an understanding of the legislation and regulations that need to be adhered to.

It was ideal for any and all operatives and staff involved in the AD process, and many AD plants in the UK provide this course to all their staff as part of the induction process. A certificate was issued to all attendees that completed the course.

Plant Optimisation

This training was aimed at anyone interested in improving their knowledge and understanding of the AD process, in order to increase output and process stability. It was about getting the most from your AD plant, by understanding, monitoring and finetuning the processes involved. This was to help minimise problems and downtime.

It was appropriate for all operators, owners, managers and anyone involved in the AD process.

Clamping

This Learning & Development event addressed the whole process of clamping, from planning and monitoring feedstock, to filling and covering effectively, safely working the clamp, to emptying/feed-out dos’ don’ts and special equipment. The event also addressed contract management and environmental issues.

Feedstocks and Coronavirus

During coronavirus surplus production and novel waste streams became available for the AD industry. Our course explained issues with accepting these feedstocks and why they have arisen. We also gave advice on what to do if your feedstock has decreased. With AD a central part to the circular economy and waste hierarchy it is pivotal for processing organic streams that cannot be used for human consumption or animal feed. Our farming, academia, AD consultants and regulator speakers from our full training days explained where, what, and how this will impact optimisation including biochemistry, heating, energy generation and digestate.

Recent Training and “Learning & Development” Events…

Training | Temperatures and Biology | Tuesday 14 May 2024

Training | Plant Optimisation | Thursday 2 May 2024

Training | Biogas, Biomethane and Grid Injection | Tuesday 16 April 2024

See the video of the presentations: 

 

We gather stakeholders to tackle industry issues, find out the latest developments in the sector and directly influence government policy and regulation. For each topic, we assemble a Working Group. These can be either AD operators only or open to operators and suppliers or open to certain disciplines, such as finance. Officials attend some Working Groups sessions, for example from BEIS, Defra, EA, HSE and WRAP. Interested in joining? Contact joanna.goad@adbioresources.org

Click to find out more about each Working Group:

Carbon Intensity of Biogas

Food Waste

Small On-farm AD

Sustainable Bioenergy Crops

Wastewater

Are you looking to secure finance for your AD project?

If so then ADBA’s finance partners offer financial solutions for every area of your planned AD plant. If you think these services could benefit you then fill in the contact form below today for a free consultation.

Why AD is a good investment?

The anaerobic digestion industry is estimated to be worth over £5 billion over the next ten years, with rapid expansion caused by the need to meet government waste targets and because anaerobic digestion is seen as a central plank of energy policy to combat both climate change and energy security.

What services do our finance partners offer?

They can:

  • Provide an initial free, no obligation consultation
  • Evaluate your AD project and give you an early view of possibilities
  • Review your AD business plan and financials
  • Edit your plan for individual lenders needs
  • Support and communicate with you throughout the process
  • Review any formal funding offers
  • Help you to evaluate the mix of funding required
  • Match the most suitable lender to your particular AD project

Why use our finance partners?

Key benefits – they:

  • Can guide you towards successful funding
  • Understand the renewables industry and AD in particular
  • Can give you an insight into the funding sector’s requirements
  • Understand the debt, equity and asset finance sectors
  • Are a great conduit to the right people
  • Can steer you towards specialist accountants, lawyers, or technical experts in AD
  • Can liaise with suppliers where required

Our finance partners maintain close relationships with all major international banks, equity investors and asset finance institutions therefore they are able to help steer projects towards the most suitable finance package. Most importantly, they’ve successfully arranged the funding of many renewable AD projects in the UK.

Our finance partners engage with their clients throughout the whole funding process. From reviewing your project plans through to your funding application to getting involved with your lawyers, accountants and technical advisers to discussing indicative and formal offers, legal documents or the make-up of the funding prior to draw-down – our finance partners support you in every stage of your funding process.

So whether your project is farm based, energy crop, or a merchant plant with food or industrial waste, then contact our finance partners for that initial discussion. If you have a good AD project and the skills or team to operate and manage the plant, we have the ability to find the investment required.

Their partners

Like ADBA, our finance partners are also committed to making the most of AD’s potential, particularly its contribution to the UK’s climate change, waste management and wider environmental objectives, working closely with BEIS, Defra, WRAP, DIT, EA and various funding mechanisms to help meet these objectives.

Enquire about our financial services

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Why do you need a renewable energy insurance specialist?

The risks inherent to the AD sector can be challenging and have far-reaching consequences for stakeholders. The sharing of risks is critical for a project’s success. But it can be hard to find insurance brokers who understand the risks you face, and who can arrange the right level of insurance required to protect your business.

ADBA’s insurance and risk management partners have expertise and long standing presence in the AD and biogas industry.

Why an insurance partner?

The anaerobic digestion industry is estimated to be worth in excess of £5 billion over the next decade, with rapid expansion caused by the need to meet government waste targets and because anaerobic digestion is seen as a central plank of energy policy to combat both climate change and energy security.

The Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association has been an Introducer Appointed Representative of insurance partners authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Not all products and services offered are regulated by the FCA.

How can insurance experts specialising in renewables help you?

  • Insurance solutions for the entire supply chain, including cover for consultants and solicitors
  • Owner controlled insurance programme for the construction phase of your project including delay in start-up covering your advance loss of profits
  • Operational phase insurance including material damage, business interruption and mechanical breakdown
  • A range of liability insurances including Professional Indemnity, Employers, Public, Products and Environmental Liability
  • Directors and Offices (D&O) insurance
  • Fleet insurance
  • Protection of your goods during overseas transport
  • Protection of your cyber liabilities
  • Due diligence to ensure contractual and lenders insurance requirements are met
  • Mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and related run off
  • Financial security in respect of decommissioning
  • Complex claims negotiation and settlement arrangement provided by the insurer’s technical claims experts

Contact a renewable energy insurance expert

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Innovation is vital to delivering a financially sustainable AD industry, bringing down the cost of deployment and increasing revenue from AD’s co-products. It stands to advance all aspects of the AD industry, maximising its environmental benefits, while also investing in projects which support the collaboration of multi-disciplinary teams such as academia and industry.

Research Grants

ADBA maintains a database of research councils and institutions to fund research grants. We can give you key contacts and help you write your proposals.

Government Funding

ADBA recommends that the government creates a new fund specifically dedicated to research supporting AD and its production of biomethane and digestate. To encourage applied research, funding applications can target key aspects of the AD industry and be carried out simultaneously rather than sequentially to speed up success rates. This holds the potential to significantly improve the AD industry’s financial model and the socio-economic benefits delivered. With sufficient support, innovation could eliminate the industry’s dependence on government financing and move towards its full potential – treating all organic wastes and extracting maximum value from them. And ultimately, research and innovation are effective means of increasing value for money to the taxpayer.

Connecting Academia and Industry

Our team aims to speed up AD technology’s transition from academia to industry – and with it, its commercial value. This enables operational plants to trial new solutions, without significant risk to their annual operations.

International Markets

Through innovation and development, the AD industry can bring technologies up to the technology-readiness-levels (TRLs) and converting knowledge into new commercial opportunities. For instance, once commercially viable, innovations may also be exported to international markets, strengthening the UK’s place in the world – globally, AD is only achieving 2% of its full potential.

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