Anaerobic digestion

Over the last decade our award winning anaerobic digestion (AD) specialists have worked with a diverse range of clients from rural landowners wanting to diversify their business;  developers seeking to install plant;  feedstock producers wishing to supply AD and biomass to funders seeking to lend.  We advise from project inception and planning through financing, construction and accreditation to post-commissioning and operational matters through the life of the plant.

Our energy team hold European Energy Centre Certification in CHP and truly understand the technologies involved in mesophilic or thermophilic plant and whether export is via biogas and a CHP, or biomethane via gas to grid connection. We have advised on everything from small scale community AD projects to large industrial developments and we can help you every step of the way.

We can provide guidance on the regulatory and environmental aspects involved in AD including waste duty of care, environmental assessments, permit applications, transfers and surrenders, contaminated land and remediation liabilities.  We have an acknowledged track record in dealing with AD related planning matters and the team can assess a site’s current planning status and provide a strategic view on progressing applications. We have advised on sites in the AONB, enabled increased feedstock tonnages and increased plant on existing sites and advised on air quality and emissions next to SSIs.

Our anaerobic digestion expertise includes:

• Due diligence in securing land rights, wayleaves and easements
• Grid connection matters – whether grid export of gas or electricity
• Power purchase agreements and private wire arrangements
• Feedstock & Digestate management agreements for a variety of feedstock streams – energy crop, animal slurry, merchant or council food waste
• Planning (contentious and non-contentious)
• Environmental regulation
• AHA tenancy issues
• Project finance
• EP & O&M contracts

Our recent AD experience

• Advising farming landowners in relation to the development of industrial scale gas to grid AD plants on their land, including consortia feedstock agreements and digestate management.
• Advising developers on a community energy AD project utilising estate-sourced feedstock and debt funding.
• SPV incorporation and project asset stacking enabling landowners to construct and operate their own AD plant with suitable ring-fencing for financing purposes.
• Winners of the ADBA 2016 Best AD Support (legal/technical/consultancy) award
• We have contributed to both the first and second editions of the ADBA Practical Guide to AD and regularly appear as conference speakers at the UK AD Biogas and World Biogas Expo
• Advising on OFGEM AD accreditation issues to enable connection to grid and providing regulatory guidance on FiT, CfD and RHI applications.

Don’t just take our word for it.  The team are recognised by the independent guide Legal 500 for “its niche expertise in anaerobic digestion projects” and the team have written a white paper “the critical first 180 days in the life of an AD plant”