The overall growth has been more than two thirds in a year on year comparison, and the number of projects has increased by 69% with 43 new projects approved.
According to reports from Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), anaerobic digestion industry is likely to grow by more than 200% in the coming years.
In the AD process farm slurry, vegetable peelings, paper and other organic material are made to decompose inside a closed chamber to produce gas, which is used to generate electricity.
The increase in numbers of household food waste collections under by the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 will become available to fuel Scotland’s ongoing AD boom.
ADBA CEO Charlotte Morton said: "Scotland is leading the way in demonstrating how anaerobic digestion extracts value from our waste, while supporting farming resilience, reducing billions in carbon abatement costs, improving food security and production and generating employment and investment opportunities for rural economies.
"We are particularly excited to see AD plants working in partnership with local authorities to collect residents’ food waste and to distribute in its place heat and electricity for local homes."
According to ADBA, Biogas produced from anaerobic digestion of waste could provide 10% of the energy needs of the UK within the next ten years.
It also said that this gas will not only reduce the overall cost of gas in the UK, it will also be a vital component in meeting the country’s greenhouse gas targets and helping decarbonize the electricity and gas grids.
