New conference in London brings stakeholders together to discuss contribution to climate protection - £10 million for biogas projects

The UK government is rethinking the way the country deals with waste, regarding it as a resource. According to a release from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), 100 million tonnes of food and other organic waste are produced every year which could be used to create enough energy to run over two million homes. This equals five cities the size of Birmingham. A new conference named "Energy from Biomass and Waste UK" (EBW UK) will bring all stakeholders to together to discuss how residues can make a contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, save money and create jobs at home. The EBW UK conference and exhibition will be held on January 26-27, 2010 at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London.

Anaerobic digestion of waste is one way to go. Organic matter such as animal manure and food waste are broken down in the process to produce biogas. Biogas is a renewable energy source that can be used to produce heat, power or to run a vehicle. Treating the waste in such a manner diverts it from landfill, which avoids methane emissions. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. At the same time, energy recovery from waste helps municipalities to treat their residues more economically. The rising landfill tax has made landfilling a costly experience. This and the British government's £10 million Anaerobic Digestion Demonstration Programme have created a market for innovative waste conversion technology that will also generate thousands of new jobs.

In England's East Midlands around 25 million tonnes of waste are generated every year. The majority of this derives from agricultural production, because 80 percent of land in the region is used for farming. It is also where the majority of the food industry is situated, resulting in an enormous production of waste. "The East Midlands offer a variety of forward-looking joint ventures between the public and private sectors in the funding of regenerative technologies", says Gesine Vespermann, Business Relationship Manager, at the East Midlands Development Agency (emda). "Especially for German institutions and businesses offering environmental technologies, the East Midlands offer comprehensive cooperation possibilities with regional partners." Emda is a sponsor of EBW UK 2010. http://www.englandseastmidlands.com

"With the Energy from Biomass and Waste UK conference we are giving a voice to this growing movement towards sustainable waste management and clean energy supply." says Dr. Ines Freesen, Managing Director of the organiser Freesen & Partner GmbH. "There will be exciting exhibits, case studies and interactive workshop sessions. Attendees will have the chance to see new technology and find answers to their questions regarding sustainability and profitability."

Abstracts for the conference can still be submitted until June 30, 2009. More information on the event website.

Freesen & Partner GmbH, a Germany-based consulting firm and trade show organiser, recently announced the launch of the first international EBW UK Conference and Exhibition. Modelled after the "Waste to Energy" (Bremen) and the "Energy from Biomass and Waste US" (Pittsburgh, PA) conferences, EBW UK is the premier forum for the growing market for bioenergy production and landfill diversion. Conference sessions will discuss regulatory, technical and business aspects, present "news from the lab" and best-practice reports. The concurrently held trade show provides vendors of state-of-the-art environmental and energy technologies with the opportunity to connect with prospective clients from the authorities, commerce and agricultural sector.

For more information visit: http://www.ebw-uk.com or call +49-2802-9484840.

Media Contact:

Dr. Ines Freesen
Freesen & Partner GmbH
Schwalbennest 7a
46519 Alpen, Germany
Tel.: +49-2802-948484-0
Fax: +49-2802-948484-3
info@ebw-uk.com