The new feed-in tariff ‘cap’ on deployment of anaerobic digestion plants in the UK filled up 15 minutes after it opened at midnight on 8 February, according to Ofgem data.
The current cap period lasts until 31 March, but pre-accreditation applications reached the total permitted level of 5.8MW just after 00:15am.
Applications can still be submitted but will be ‘queued’ and not approved until there is space in a new quarter’s cap.
By the end of the first day, applications totalling almost 15MW had been submitted.
Those applications not in the first quarter of an hour will have to wait until capacity becomes available in a new quarter to be approved, and will also face reduced tariffs.
Ofgem will release a further update on 19 February.
Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association chief executive Charlotte Morton said: “Surpassing the first quarter’s FiT cap in just 15 minutes – and almost three times over by the end of the day – shows just how much more green energy we could deliver if we weren’t being held back.
“DECC has said that they will look again at deployment caps alongside the forthcoming review of AD tariffs this year.
“This can’t be soon enough – while we wait much needed baseload capacity is on hold.”
Image: anaerobic digestion plant (Vortexrealm)
