Case studies

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The Biogas Map provides details of all operational AD facilities in the UK, with links to plant websites where available. This page provides direct links to some excellent case studies, showcasing a range of types and scales of plant, and providing a wealth of detail for potential developers, investors and generally interested parties.


The WRAP website includes case studies. Links to the facilities that received support from the Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) are profiled, with full case studies on the following:

  • Cassington is the first development by Oxford Renewable Energy, whose parent company, Agrivert, boasts a range of experience in waste sector and local authority services. The plant at Cassington generates 2.1 MW of electricity for the Grid, enough to power around 4,200 homes.
  • Langage Farm, Devon was looking for a way to improve the grazing quality of its pasture land. It decided on anaerobic digestion to treat its factory waste and manure, returning the digestate to pasture to give significant increases in performance.
  • Lower Reule Farm, Staffordshire was keen to implement an alternative revenue stream when it closed down its pig farming operation in the summer of 2010. Building an anaerobic digestion plant to process local authority and commercial food waste offered an effective solution.
  • BV Dairy was looking to cut waste disposal costs, but quickly discovered that with anaerobic digestion it could also make savings to its significant energy bills. A video case study of the site can also be found here.

The Farming Futures website includes case studies of agricultural and horticultural facilities:

  • Kemble Farms – In 2008 Kemble Farms Ltd completed the installation of a 300kW anaerobic digestion plant, which complemented their dairy unit and provided another income following fluctuating milk prices.
  • Copys Green Farm – Cattle manure and silage from Stephen Temple’s dairy farm and whey from his cheese making enterprise are fed into the facility, producing biogas that can be used for heat and electricity production.
  • APS Salads – (Video Case Study) Taking a whole farm approach to reducing the carbon and water footprint of their tomato crop. Using a combined heat and power unit, a ground source cooling pump and anaerobic digestion they have gained incredible efficiencies and cost savings.
  • Lowbrook Farm – Owen Yeatman’s Nuffield Farming Scholarship researching biogas in 2004 prompted an investment for his own anaerobic digester facility. Even at a cost of £750,000, Owen is confident that his months of preparation will see him benefit financially in the long term.

The RASE ‘Review of Anaerobic Digestion Plants on UK Farms’ includes detailed case studies for the following operational farm-based plants:

  • Kemble Farms, Cirencester (Pg. 43) – 300kWe, slurry and silage.
  • Copys Green Farm, Norfolk (Pg. 48) – 140kWe, slurry silage and cheese making waste.
  • Hill Farm, Shropshire (Pg. 53) – slurry only, self-built plant, using heat-only on-site.
  • Lodge Farm, Wrexham (Pg. 64) – 125kWe, slurry and chicken litter.
  • Tuquoy Farm, Orkney (Pg. 70) – 6kWe, beef manure and grass silage.
  • Bank Farm, Montgomery (Pg. 80) – 125kWe, slurry, chicken litter and apple pomace.
  • Ryes Farm, Dumfries (Pg. 87) – slurry-only, using heat-only on-site.
  • Corsock Farm, Kirkcudbrightshire (Pg. 90) – slurry and glycerol, using heat-only on-site.