A common barrier in the transition between development and rollout of a new technology lies in regulation.
Innovation means pushing the boundaries, and policy often lags behind, causing problems and delays for those cutting-edge organisations trialling new approaches.
The ALG-AD project is working with NNFCC, a leading bio economy consultancy, to clarify where current regulatory barriers exist in relation to our work, where we are using the digestate from AD to cultivate microalgae. Our review will identify where there are grey areas which need addressing to enable larger scale adoption.
The initial regulatory review is in progress, and has highlighted that there are indeed challenges in this area – but the team are also working to provide guidance for stakeholders to navigate this difficult area. Read More
Wales is a nation shaped by agriculture, and current Welsh Government proposals on NVZs will challenge this crucial sector. Swansea University’s ALG-AD project is already testing approaches to manage excess food and farm waste, which may help Welsh businesses to overcome the challenge, should the legislation come in to effect. Read More
Whilst environmental benefits of designating all of Wales as an NVZ would be undoubtable, this needs to be finely balanced with commercial needs of the farming community.
Our work on ALG-AD is looking to help agricultural communities to achieve this balance, by finding alternative solutions for digestate, which can also generate income for AD.
https://www.fuw.org.uk/en/news/13882-draconian-wg-water-quality-proposals-would-push-dairy-farms-over-the-edge-fuw-dairy-committee-warns Read More
One of the legacies which will remain after ALG-AD officially ends will be a permanent exhibition which will be on display at Derval Experimental Farm in Pays de la Loire, France. Read More
Despite the Europe-wide lockdown, it’s pretty much business as usual on ALG-AD and recently the project welcomed a new staff member into its midst. Read More
Two weeks into the new world of working from home and the Zoom conference call is now the new normal for the ALG-AD team. In fairness, the team had already been using the platform widely as we’re split across several countries. But in the era of the lockdown, our strong communications foundations have really proven themselves. Read More
Along with the majority of citizens across North West Europe, scientists and project support staff working on ALG-AD are now carrying out their duties from the safety of their homes. Read More
ALG-AD colleagues from France and Belgium came to Swansea University in January for a workshop focused on characterisation and analysis of the biomass being produced by the project. Read More
The last of the three photobioreactors to be constructed by the Interreg NWE funded ALG-AD project is now up and running in Belgium and is already growing biomass. Read More
