In the UK Biogas Industry Numerous Plants are Failing

Paul Davis, Landia UK LtdAccording to a long-established manufacturer of pumps and mixers for biogas/AD digesters, failing plants are a bad hangover in the UK for customers who were mis-sold equipment that was never going to be suitable for feedstocks that are different from that in most parts of Europe.

“At the moment,” says Paul Davies from Landia, “these failing plants mean that everyone is a loser.

“Take a farmer, for example, who has made a major investment in an AD plant. He knows all there is to know about cows and grass, but initially needs expertise in helping make his biogas plant work. He’s understandably unhappy because his biogas plant is an absolute pain and not working properly. Those who financed it aren’t happy because the plant isn’t making any money. The equipment suppliers aren’t happy because it’s not working properly.

‘What we need is someone to take responsibility’

He added: “The farmer blames the process provider, but they point out that a different feedstock is being used from what was perhaps originally stated, and the farmer then says to the process provider that they made decisions sitting behind a desk and didn’t ask enough questions!

“Sadly, failing plants give the industry a bad name, and it pains me to say that. It has become a big downward spiral, with everyone covering their own back. What we need is someone to take responsibility.

“I simply don’t understand equipment suppliers who don’t want to make things right for their customers. Some have had little or no back up at all. It is very poor form to walk away, or not go that extra mile to make matters right. With the best will in the world, it can take 18 months to iron out all the challenges of setting up a biogas plant, but with the right equipment and the right people pulling in the same direction, it is very much worth it, as successful, very profitable AD operators will tell you.

He continued: “The main area of failure in the UK has been in the mixing systems, which are critical to the smooth-running of a biogas plant. Farmers and other AD investors were sold package plants that were just fine for maize, but ended up with major crust problems here because we’re using slurry with grass. Us seeing digesters burdened with metre upon metre of crust is all too common. It’s meant to be the business of making gas, not crust. Those thinking that ‘any old mixer’ will do the job are hopelessly wrong, and it’s the farmer who is left with a malfunctioning tank. For slurry/grass, you may need a separate hydrolysis tank, but either way, a very robust mixing system is a must. Frustrated, the farmer and the process provider often start throwing more and more power at the application to try and rectify it, but it is not the answer- and a real shame when you should be trying to fine tune a system so that you’re getting the maximum amount of energy from a minimum of what you’re putting in!”

‘Producing energy from waste is something we should be proud of’

“We are a pump and mixer manufacturer; not a process consultant, but increasingly we’re having to step up and help, because nobody else is prepared to. Troubleshooting is a challenge, but our customers welcome it, especially when many others seem totally bogged down in the blame game. Meanwhile, the farmer isn’t producing any gas, which is ridiculous.

“Maybe we should be perfectly happy with all the retrofit work that we keep winning, but it is alarming that package plants with totally unsuitable mixers for UK biogas plants are still being sold! I can certainly understand the frustration and stress of farmers and other AD/biogas operators who were made some very big promises; only to see now that many of those so-called ‘experts’ who sold them the equipment are no longer even in the industry. Some of those who remain have no concept of customer service, and quite frankly, a distinct lack of knowledge, because they’ve never really got their hands dirty at an AD plant, and don’t seem to have much grasp of joined up thinking.

‘Turn these failing plants into successful ones’

“It is time for some hand-holding and a will to turn these failing plants into successful ones. There are companies on board who are making this happen, but we need more of it. Producing energy from waste is something we should be proud of, even though the media seems obsessed instead with solar and wind power. Let’s work together to make things right and show everyone that this is an industry that is moving in the right direction.”