About the centre
Welcome to the Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion.
The Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion has been partially funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide technical and non-technical support for the rapid deployment of anaerobic digestion in Wales. The AD Centre is based in the Sustainable Environment Research Centre at the University of Glamorgan, Wales.
Anaerobic Digestion has already been implemented across many areas of Europe as the primary means of treating biodegradable organic wastes such as source segregated kitchen waste, organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), biodegradable commercial and industrial (C&I) wastes, sewage sludges and animal slurries.
Impacts of the Landfill Directive such as a reduction in landfill capacity, the requirement to pre-treat organic materials prior to disposal, and targets to divert material from landfill coupled with long term increases in energy costs and the requirement to generate renewable electricity mean that anaerobic digestion is an attractive option for Wales and the UK.
The AD Centre has been established to provide two broad roles:
1. To ensure that sufficient, appropriate and technically accurate information regarding anaerobic digestion is available to all stakeholders with an interest in the technology.
2. To provide specific technical assistance to those who are considering anaerobic digestion as a waste treatment option, or are in the process of developing, constructing or operating an AD plant.
By undertaking these roles, the AD Centre will assist in the rapid deployment of anaerobic digestion across Wales and help to ensure that plants operating within Wales are technically robust and efficiently operated providing maximum benefits to operators and the Welsh society.
This website should be considered as a first port of call for AD information. The site will evolve and be updated over time and we will be hoping to keep you up to date with developments in the AD industry in Wales and the UK as they happen. However, if you can’t find what you need on the website, please do not hesitate to contact the AD Centre directly using the Contact facility.