Wiltshire College & University Centre is reducing its carbon footprint at its Lackham campus by installing an anaerobic digester to convert farm waste into energy.
The £275,000 project, which was completed over the summer and is now at capacity, is estimated it will save up to £50,000 worth of electricity a year at Lackham’s Home Farm.
As well as being a teaching centre, it is a working farm with a herd of 100 Holstein Friesian cows producing 35,700 litres of milk a week for Cadbury’s, as part of a group of suppliers, as well as its own beef and lamb. The cows are split between a fully robotic dairy and traditional cow sheds.
The 15 kilowatt MicroAD farm system, installed by Bath design and engineering firm BioFactory, uses microorganisms to convert waste into methane, which is then converted into electricity. The process lowers greenhouse gas emissions by capturing methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
“The real bonus for us is that it reduces our carbon footprint as well as contributing to our cost savings,” said Philip Steans, Farm and Estates Manager at the campus. “More and more farms are looking into these AD units and we felt the time was right to invest.
“The savings on electricity will help reduce our production costs and improve the profitability of our milk at a time when all our costs are rising.”
Slurry, which would normally be separated and then spread on to fields, will be fed into the unit. The process will produce almost pasteurised manure for spreading, which, said Mr Steans, will reduce harmful bacteria – and the smell usually associated with muck spreading. Essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are also more readily available to the soil, which will improve its condition more quickly.
“Previously we’ve had to wait six weeks before we can allow our animals on to fields where we’ve spread manure because of the toxins but with this process we can allow them out a lot sooner,” said Phil, who has worked at the college for 32 years.
The AD process also produces hot water, which is kept in an 800 litre tank within the unit. The second phase of the project will install piping so it can be repurposed for heating and washing.
BioFactory CEO Eoin Sharkey said, “It’s fantastic to be working with the college and to have the opportunity to share this new, innovative technology with the next generation of farmers. The introduction of our technology onto the farm enables the college to better utilise their slurry and meet their environmental and renewable energy goals.”
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) says the proportion of farms in England processing waste, crops, or feedstocks in AD units has risen from 7% in 2020 to 12% last year.
“Having the AD unit is not only the right thing to do from an environmental and sustainability point of view, it also makes economic sense,” said Phil. “As our students go into industry they are going to be seeing more and more of them in use, so having an understanding of them and the benefits they bring while they are here can only be a good thing.”
The college has already achieved a 20% reduction in carbon emissions across its whole estate after setting its net zero target two years ago. The AD plant will deliver a further significant reduction towards its ambition to be net zero by 2040.
As part of its sustainability strategy, the college is opening a Green Skills Innovation Centre to teach the construction industry about the installation and maintenance of eco technologies such as air source heat pumps and solar panels. This year will also see the launch of the Lackham Eco House in partnership with Good Energy to showcase sustainable technology.
The college’s efforts have not gone unnoticed – it has been named a finalist in the Sustainability Institution of the Year category at the 2025 Green Gown Awards. The awards celebrate universities and colleges making progress in tackling climate change.
For more information about WCUC visit www.wiltshire.ac.uk.
