Low Carbon: Cow dung could help farmers in Flintshire generate energy

According to Silas Jones, Cadwyn Clwyd's energy officer, bio gas plants or anaerobic digesters that break down cow dung and other organic matter to create methane gas are one effective way of generating renewable energy.

He said: "An anaerobic digester takes the slurries and manures from farms, mainly from dairy farms, and encloses them in a vessel where they generate gas.

"You can use that gas to heat your farm and generate electricity which you can then sell back to the National Grid.

"It would be great if we could get groups of farmers working cooperatively together on something like an anaerobic digester."

"That's perfect because you've got slurries from different farms and crops from different farms which you can feed into the anaerobic digester, and you can share the capital cost between the farmers.

"A wood fired heating system is similar if you have a number of farms that have woodland on. They could share management fees, processing fees and drying fees for the wood.

"Other possibilities include schemes that use hydro electric or solar power while wind turbines would also be considered."

According to Mr Jones, farmers are the original conservationists and harnessing renewable energy would enhance their green credentials and improve their bank balance.

He added: "I've got a pot of money to help farmers to diversify into renewable energy projects or energy efficiency projects.

"We're looking for farmers who've got an interest in renewable energy and have got an idea that they would like to pursue and take forward.

"Potentially, renewable energy could provide another stream of income for them to make them more economically and environmentally sustainable."

As well as creating cheap energy, farmers would be paid for supplying any electricity they didn't need to the national grid.

Mr Jones is looking for either individual farmers or groups of farmers to come forward with ideas that could receive funding for feasibility studies or other consultancy fees.

"There is some money available to carry out feasibility studies and to get professional advice on what will and won't work.

"I'm looking to fund a small number of projects and all ideas will be judged on their individual merits.

"Renewable energy will enable farmers to be even greener because climate change is a big issue and so too is energy security.

"There are diminishing reserves of oil and gas and if farmers create cheap energy for themselves and supply electricity to the National Grid they could be onto a winner.

"What we're looking for farmer to suggest ideas which we will score and then select a small number of the most viable suggestions to take forward as pilot projects."

Anybody who is interested should email Silas Jones or ring 01824 705802

The picture shows Silas Jones, Cadwyn Clwyd's energy officer.