What action is the Welsh Government taking to support anaerobic digesters that produce electricity and heat?
The sustainable treatment of biodegradable materials using anaerobic digesters (AD) is an important part of our waste management policy and circular economy strategy. In 2009, the Welsh Government established a delivery programme to support Local Authorities with the affordability of diverting biodegradable waste from landfill to meet EU regulations, with AD chosen as the preferred method of technology.
At local level, a network of five privately-operated AD plants treating food waste collected from households was successfully developed and delivered by Local Authority partnerships. With a combined treatment capacity of 141,000 tonnes per annum, these facilities have a 7MW generation capacity, enough to power circa 12,000 homes and play a valuable role in helping achieve statutory recycling targets and decarbonisation objectives. Details of the anaerobic digestion facilities can be found on the My Recycling Wales website: https://myrecyclingwales.org.uk/.