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Home Latest Bio Energy News Anaerobic digestion - realising the potential

U.K. Climate Change Minister Greg Barker and Environment Minister Lord Henley are today jointly chairing an Anaerobic Digestion Round Table with industry. This follows on from the Coalition's Programme for Government commitment to promote a huge increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion. Guests have been invited to discuss what actions are needed by Government to realise such an increase and how this can be done in a cost-effective way. Anaerobic digestion is a process for turning food, farm and other organic waste into energy and fuel. The UK produces about 100 million tonnes of this waste each year which could instead generate up to 7% of the renewable energy required in the UK by 2020. Greg Barker said: "Turning waste into something usable is a no brainer! So I want to investigate how we can be far more ambitious in our use of anaerobic digestion. In the face of the challenge to build an economy that cuts carbon emissions, which ensures energy security, and which creates green jobs to help bring back economic prosperity - anaerobic digestion ticks all of these boxes. Plus it has the added benefit of reducing waste going to landfill."