Prospects for on-farm anaerobic digestion as a renewable energy technology in the UK: learning from early adopters

Martin Tidy, Xiaojun Wang and Mark Hall

International Journal of Business Performance and Supply Chain Modelling, 2015, vol. 7, issue 3, 256-277

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a renewable energy technology that could make a significant contribution to climate change mitigation. Despite early recognition of its potential role within a diverse low-carbon energy mix in the UK, the on-farm AD sector has stubbornly refused to grow beyond the 'early adopter' stage at a time when some other European countries, notably Germany, recorded a huge expansion in uptake. This research investigates the experiences of early adopters in South West England, and examines the factors in making on-farm AD a viable renewable energy enterprise. The findings, drawn from six case studies, indicate that land, labour and capital resource-related requirements, along with significant regulatory and financial barriers, are together a huge hurdle to clear before a would-be on-farm AD plant operator can be confident that a viable business enterprise will result from investment.

Keywords: renewable energy; climate change; technology adoption; on-farm anaerobic digestion; early adopters; case studies; business performance; low-carbon energy mix; UK; United Kingdom; land resources; labour resources; regulatory barriers; capital resources; financial barriers. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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