Most of the electricity in Northern Ireland is generated from fossil fuels.  The current high prices of these fuels have resulted in increased prices of electricity. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has potential to provide a stable supply of electricity to the grid. It has been estimated that if all the slurry from housed livestock was used for AD, 73MW_electricity could be continuously generated – approximately 7% of Northern Ireland’s electricity demand.

Centralised anaerobic digestion (CAD) plants offer an immediate, realistic and beneficial way forward for Northern Ireland to produce renewable energy in conjunction with recycling, managing and utilising farm manures and other organic materials. Given the current level of farm incomes, the requirement to manage nutrients in farm manures (Nitrates Directive) and the requirement for renewable energy, there is also significant potential for on-farm AD in Northern Ireland. This potential has yet to be quantified. The planned research at AFBI, Hillsborough will determine the performance and viability of on-farm AD in Northern Ireland.
Nitrates Directive