Farmers insist manure is answer to UK’s energy crisis – with cow poo helping to heat 6.4m homes
FARMERS reckon they have the answer to Britain’s energy crisis — manure.
The country’s biggest dairy co-operative, Arla, wants us to tap into what it says is an underused source of energy on farms.
It believes that nearly 91million tons of slurry and ten million tons of general food waste could be turned into eight billion cubic metres of biomethane.
That would be enough to heat 6.4million homes or run about 3.8million buses and heavy goods vehicles.
Currently, Britain uses only a quarter of the 170million tons of organic waste produced each year.
James Pirie, Arla’s vice- president of UK logistics, said: “We’re clear about the opportunity presented by waste from farming and the wider food industry.
“We’ve shown that poo power is a viable and reliable source of energy, so we’re calling for the Government to support British farmers and the waste and energy sectors with their plans for investment in infrastructure.”
Arla, which represents 2,100 dairy farmers, says increasing the number of trucks powered by biogas would reduce emissions by 80 per cent.
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Also, the use of rotting material would create an eco-friendly fertiliser cutting fossil fuel use.
In 2020 trials, Arla turned poo from 500 cows into 27,000 litres of biofuel for two trucks.
It is now using slurry along with waste food from its Hatfield distribution site to power seven trucks.
Arla farmer Ian Barker said: “Nothing need go to waste when it comes to a more sustainable approach to farming and food production.
“With more support for farmers, poo power could be a feature of a more resilient, affordable energy supply.”
