Farming for Green Energy

The ‘Landmark’ contract offers the farmers a guaranteed price of £150 per ton, along with an oil content bonus; the crop also qualifies for the Government’s 45 Euro energy crop payment.

When the scheme was originally launched the farmers could only sell 20% of their oilseed crop for energy production, but a recent boost in green energy interests and a higher demand for its output means that some farmers are transferring their existing contracts to the newer, more lucrative industrial terms where they can sell all their crop for producing green energy.

The principle energy company at the moment is Springdale, of Rudston, near Driffield in England; the harvested crop will be converted into electricity in a new bio-electricity generating plant located at the company’s headquarters.

The increase in demand for this green energy has come about as further generating plants are coming on line sooner than expected at coal pitheads that are no longer in use, initially at a coalfield in Selby, Yorkshire, but with an option to open plants all over the country.