Plans for an Anaerobic Digestion plant in Jersey (FOI)

Request

A

In 2013, the States of Jersey embarked on a feasibility study for an Anaerobic Digestion plant. As part of this study the Annual Agricultural Statistics were used, however, they have not been published since 2018. Please provide the same statistics available for 2022, especially around agriculture land usage and animal stocks.

B

Also, what is the annual volume of bio solids both human and animal generated in Jersey that needs treatment?

Response

A

The attached spreadsheets provide the livestock information currently held from 2002 to date.

Livestock statistics 2017 to 2023.pdf

Livestock Jersey Agricultural Statistics 2002 to 2023.xlsx

The available information regarding agricultural land usage for 2022 is detailed below: 

It should be noted that the above information was gathered from businesses that are part of the Government of Jersey’s Rural Support Scheme (RSS), which identifies land use on about 25,000 vergees of agricultural land.

The Government of Jersey does not hold this information for any agricultural business that is not part of the RSS Scheme, therefore, Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.  

Unclassified (non-RSS agricultural land) is approximately 7,614 vergees.

B

The volume of raw biosolids processed at the Bellozanne Sewage Treatment Works through anaerobic digesters for 2022 was 60,238m3.

Article applied

Article 10 - Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding information

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), if –

(a) a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and

(b) the authority does not hold the information, it must inform the applicant accordingly.

(2) If a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority and –

(a) the information is absolutely exempt information or qualified exempt information; or

(b) if the authority does not hold the information, the information would be absolutely exempt information or qualified exempt information if it had held it, the authority may refuse to inform the applicant whether or not it holds the information if it is satisfied that, in all the circumstances of the case, it is in the public interest to do so.

(3) If a scheduled public authority so refuses –

(a) it shall be taken for the purpose of this Law to have refused to supply the information requested on the ground that it is absolutely exempt information; and

(b) it need not inform the applicant of the specific ground upon which it is refusing the request or, if the authority does not hold the information, the specific ground upon which it would have refused the request had it held the information.