Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
landfills is no longer allowed. Instead waste must be recycled or
incinerated. Consequently, waste producers face treatment costs for
composting or incineration of DKK waste. If incinerated,
additional DKK 210- 269 waste deposit tax is imposed. Normally, Danish
centralised plants charge waste they receive at the
plant. From waste producers point of view this 'gate fee' is favourable
compared to alternative waste disposal options.
7. DERIVED ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR INVOLVED
FARMERS
Farmers were the main driving force in the development of centralised
biogas plants in Denmark. In normal situations they do not withdraw a
profit from the biogas companies. Instead they gain a number of derived
economic benefits as a result of the biogas plant operation.
Over the last decades livestock farming, in Denmark as well as in
other countries, has been increasingly concentrated. As the environmental
impacts of intensive livestock farming have been increasingly apparent,
legislation on livestock production, manure handling and application has
been gradually strengthened. Some of these rules are included in the so-
called 'legislative push' mentioned previously. Originally farmers regarded
the new rules as quite rigorous, as increased costs were thereby imposed on
livestock production. Now it is generally conceived that the rules were
technically well founded.
According to law livestock farmers must control certain manure
storage capacity. When this requirement was imposed the majority of
Danish livestock farmers faced considerable investments in slurry storage
facilities. However, in some areas, centralised biogas plants were
established, and provided the needed storage capacity. Consequently,
farmers gained benefits in the form of
cost savings from manure storage
(Hjort-Gregersen 1993).
The so-called 'harmony rules' lay down maximum levels to the
manure amounts applicable per land unit. Livestock producers, who do not
own sufficient land themselves, must make agreements with crop
producers concerning slurry transfer. In some cases, when agreements are
not obtainable, farmers are forced to rent or buy land, which is not
necessarily recommendable from an economic point of view. In addition,
the transportation distance to these fields may be considerable, and manure
transportation costs significant. When planning a centralised biogas plant,
much care is taken in suitable location of slurry storage facilities near the
fields, where the digested manure is end-used as a fertiliser. The
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