The 2020 Award Categories are listed below.
Do provide evidence to support every claim you make. Evidence should be robust and independent.
Do not submit the same, untailored entry to every category.
Do not submit marketing or promotional materials.
Awarded to the organisation that is using outputs or by-products from anaerobic digestion in the most innovative way.
The aim is to incentivise research and development into how outputs and by-products are used, in particular co-products (CO2/digestate), including improved marketability to improve profitability.
This award will be given to…
The company or project that has demonstrated the greatest level of innovation or market development in the production and/or treatment of outputs from the anaerobic digestion process, whether biogas, digestate or otherwise.
Biogas is used for electricity production and heat (CHP), upgraded to biomethane and injected into the national gas grid or used as a transport fuel, and nominees need to demonstrate that they are converting the energy produced in the most efficient, site-appropriate and economically viable way to maximise the value (in the broadest sense) achieved from the biogas generated or other product.
Alternatively, nominees could find innovation or market development in the production, treatment or use of digestate and/or in the development of markets which realise the value of digestate.
Who should enter?
- Biogas technology and equipment suppliers
- Fuel providers
- Energy companies or suppliers
- Consultants
- Biogas developers/operators
- Waste water treatment companies
- Fleet operators
- Local authorities
- Food and drink businesses
- Farmers
- Vehicle manufacturers
- Researchers and any other businesses adopting or utilising outputs from the anaerobic digestion process.
This award recognises the importance that technological innovation plays in pushing the sector forward towards building a circular economy, in which organic wastes and feedstocks are recycled into renewable gases.
A wide variety of innovations will all be key to unlocking sustainable business models to support ADBA and WBA’s goal to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by at least 12% globally, from:
- Improvements in efficiency and plant optimisation to produce biogas or biomethane
- Novel routes to bioLPG or other renewable gases
- Recovering and using biogas-derived CO2
- Producing natural fertilisers and other bioproducts
This award will be given to…
Any person, company or team who has carried out a significant research and development project or innovation that has made or might/could make a contribution to the sector, or to any commercialisation project.
Who should enter?
- Facility designers/builders/developers/operators
- Technology and equipment suppliers
- Upstream feedstock suppliers/processors
- Downstream energy and non-energy businesses
- Waste management companies
- Consultants and universities.
This award will be given to…
Any individual, public engagement or outreach programme making an outstanding contribution to the development of anaerobic digestion in the UK or global biogas industry.
This award will be judged by reference to the following information…
Provide a 300-word summary of how the nominated person/project has contributed to the development of anaerobic digestion and biogas in the UK or internationally, quantifying if at all possible the value of that contribution.
Who should enter?
Any individual/project making an outstanding contribution to the development of AD in the UK or global AD industry. You can nominate someone from within your own business or another organisation.
This award recognises an individual who is quickly making a strong impression in the industry landscape.
This award will be given to…
Any individual working in the industry for less than five years. You will need to demonstrate how you (or the nominated individual) are making an outstanding contribution to the development of anaerobic digestion and biogas in the UK or globally.
Who should enter?
Any individual making an outstanding contribution to the development of anaerobic digestion and biogas in the UK or globally. You can nominate an individual either in your own business or in another organisation.
This award will be given to…
Any person, company or team providing outstanding support in the anaerobic digestion and biogas industry.
Entries should ideally come from those who have been the recipients of the outstanding support, rather than those providing it, or be accompanied by testimonials from the recipients.
Who should enter?
- Anaerobic digestion designers/builders/developers/operators
- Technology and equipment suppliers
- Food and drink businesses
- Waste management companies
- Technical, legal and accounting consultants
- Academics.
This award recognises the challenges that AD plants can be faced with and how hard they can be to overcome.
It acknowledges a plant that has succeeded, despite facing a number of obstacles; even when it is difficult, plants can deliver high standards.
This award will be given to…
The plant that has poducts, designs, services and processes that maximise the value of the inputs and/or outputs in the AD process.
Who should enter?
- Anaerobic digestion technology and equipment suppliers (including pre-treatment, in-tank optimisation and post-treatment)
- Developers/operators
- Consultants
- Researchers
Delivering Net Zero means minimising waste and integrating it with energy streams. It is all about recycling, recovery and re-use of the valuable natural resources in organic wastes, from increased capture and collection through to novel processes to decarbonise sectors such as heat, transport and agriculture. This is the circular economy and AD stands at the heart of the circular economy.
This award will be given to any person, company or project that has demonstrated the greatest level of innovation or market development in recycling, reuse and recovery.
It could be a project that has created innovative programmes to capture more food waste from households, retail and hospitality sectors; projects that have closed the loop in manufacturing processes; increased the recovery and use of valuable minerals; or have established processes to optimise to decarbonisation potential of biomethane.
This award will be given to…
Projects that have delivered successful strategies to capture organic wastes for biogas production and have optimised their recycling, recovery and reuse potential; and can show how this has decarbonised the process; companies in the supply chain who have developed technology to improve the handling and treatment of organic waste feedstocks and reduce the carbon footprint of organic waste collections.
Who should enter?
Projects that have delivered successful strategies to capture organic wastes for biogas production and have optimised their recycling, recovery and reuse potential; and can show how this has decarbonised the process; companies in the supply chain who have developed technology to improve the handling and treatment of organic waste feedstocks and reduce the carbon footprint of organic waste collections.
This award recognises that we are part of a global industry and to reach our full potential of decarbonising the global economy by 12% we need to work collaboratively.
It acknowledges the valuable knowledge and expertise in the sector and encourages this to be shared across borders.
This award will be given to…
The best collaborative anaerobic digestion and biogas project of any size.
The project must involve two or more companies working together.
Companies or teams providing outstanding legal/accounting/consulting/operational support in the AD industry are welcome to apply.
Who should enter?
- Developers
- Operators
- Equipment suppliers
- Digestate treatment companies
- Consultants.
Health and safety is essential to mitigate any industry risk and ensure contingency plans are in place. Therefore, this award is for innovation, adaptation and forward thinking of those exemplary companies, technology providers or sites that help protect personnel, the environment and plant infrastructure.
This award will be given to…
- Biogas technology and equipment suppliers from personal gas monitors to lightning protection
- Consultants and individuals
- Plant developers
- Investors
- Insurers
- Operations and maintenance companies
- Individual sites
- Any other businesses adopting or implementing health and safety best practice in the anaerobic digestion industry.
Who should enter?
This award will be given to…
The best AD plant worldwide that is <1MWe / 500Nm3/hr biogas or smaller in capacity.
Who should enter?
- AD operators
- Farmers
- Waste Management Companies.
This award will be given to…
The best biogas plant worldwide that is greater than >1MWe / 500 Nm3 /hr biogas capacity.
Who should enter?
- AD operators
- Farmers
- Waste Management Companies.
This award will be given to…
Companies that develop or provide innovative financing solutions to the biogas industry. These can be either debt like products or the creation of tradable instruments which assist companies to better monetise their products, in particular the environmental attributes of the products.
Who should enter?
- Financing companies
- Commodity traders
- Biogas project developers
- Energy companies
- Traders