INVESTING in anaerobic digestion can offer dairy farmers a stable income, reduced energy costs and an opportunity to add value to waste products.
According to Irish producer Stephen Carson, AD is the ‘key’ to the long term sustainability of dairy farms. Milking 300 cows, he has recently invested in a 500kW biogas plant.
“We decided to investigate anaerobic digestion nearly four years ago when milk prices were low. The driving force was that we wanted to reduce the effects of market price fluctuation on the farm business,” explained Mr Carson. 
“It’s been a long and involved process,” he said. “The process of planning took time, as did securing the grid connection. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how straightforward it was to secure funding for the project. That was provided by Privilege Finance and the support they gave us was impeccable. 
“Although the initial outlay was a big commitment, we soon understood that it was viable in terms of return on investment for the farm.”
Mr Carson reported that the plant, commissioned in September, was now operating at ‘full throttle’ producing 500kW of electricity: “Running the plant is my responsibility and it has many synergies to being a dairy farmer. It needs a good diet and I have to monitor its health and be sure not overstress it. 
“The plant is fed approximately 26 to 28 cubic metres of cow slurry per day, which helps with slurry management. We’re able to get more value from the slurry, which we would have previously had to pay for to get spread. 
“What’s more, we use the heat and electricity we generate within the dairy enterprise and we’re already benefitting from displaced energy costs, which helps reduce overheads and improve margins.”
Mr Carson outlined his future plans for the farm: “It’s all about future proofing the farm business and I’m already investigating ways to develop the plant further. The dairy unit will always be the core of the business, but our investment in AD means we’ve been able to provide further security for future generations.”