The Energy White Paper published last week proposes providing better rewards for energy crops and new technologies like anaerobic digestion, which could mean diversification opportunities for UK growers.

The draft document announced proposals for the Renewables Obligation to be banded in future which would mean technologies will be split into four groups and awarded differing numbers of Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROCs) per MWh of electricity generated.

This means emerging technologies will receive greater financial support than those that are already established and will result in increased support for anaerobic digestion, energy crops for heat and power, and significantly different support for co-firing of energy crops compared to ordinary (non-energy crop) biomass.

The proposed bands are:

•0.25ROC/MWh: Sewage gas, landfill gas, co-firing of biomass;

•ROCs/MWh: Onshore wind, hydro-electric, co-firing of energy crops, CHP from waste;

•1.5ROCs/MWh: Offshore wind, dedicated biomass; and

•ROCs/MWh: Anaerobic digestion, dedicated biomass with energy crops, dedicated biomass with CHP, solar, geothermal, wave and others.

Reaction has been mainly positive. Dorset farmer Owen Yeatman, who is at the forefront of developing on-farm anaerobic digestion systems, said: “It’s up to farmers now to maximise what is a great opportunity for us. This is going to help kickstart the industry.”

The NFU has also welcomed the move. President Peter Kendall stressed: “We have been calling for extra support for energy crops and anaerobic digestion and it is very rewarding to see this has been reflected in the White Paper.

“The White Paper reinforces the role biomass must play in the country’s future energy mix and should help create exciting new opportunities for farmers.”

He sees the industry as being very much complementary to the government’s strategy. “Agriculture has a major role to play in the provision of renewable energy sources through biomass and biofuel crops, and the proposal to modify the ROCs banding to provide greater support for energy crops and emerging technologies like anaerobic digestion is great news.”

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