To ask the Minister for the Economy for her assessment of the levels of return for anaerobic digesters as part of the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation scheme; and whether these represent value for money.

Neither anaerobic digestion plants nor the biogas they produce are eligible for support under the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO). The NIRO supports the generation of renewable electricity, including electricity generated by stations fuelled by biogas produced through the anaerobic digestion process.

This is an important distinction as any revenue streams for anaerobic digestion plants that do not relate to electricity production by a generating station are not within the scope of the NIRO. I therefore cannot comment on the rates of returns of anaerobic digesters themselves.

The levels of returns for renewable electricity generating stations are based on a number of factors, not just the Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) banding levels set, and the rates of returns will differ substantially depending on the assumptions about the individual circumstances of generators used to calculate any figures.

I note that the Audit Office report includes a recommendation to carry out a review of the levels of support available and rates of return for renewable generators, and I have accepted this.