Poultry litter was formerly classed as a waste product, and could not be burnt on farms, but now producers hope to be able to use litter as biomass to provide renewable heat for their sheds.  

The new rules, introduced as part of the reformed Animal By-Product Implementing Regulations, which have now been published in the European Union’s Official Journal, take effect on 15 July. Poultry farmers across the EU will be allowed to combust poultry litter on-farm to create energy.

Industry groups have welcomed the reclassification, saying it will make poultry production more environmentally and economically viable. In the UK, the NFU welcomed the measures, saying it had been lobbying for the change for several years.

Research conducted last year in the US found that using litter to create heat, and the residual ash as fertiliser could provide a range of benefits, and performed better than using litter for electricity generation, as has hitherto been the case.

NFU poultry board chairman Duncan Priestner commented on Friday, "This represents a massive, positive development for the poultry industry, one which embraces new technology and is keen to make use of on-farm by-products, both to the benefit of business and the environment, by relying less on traditional energy sources.

"There are also a number of other benefits, including healthier birds, minimised biosecurity risks and opportunities to use nutrient-rich ash on farmland. Our poultry farmers will be able to take advantage of these opportunities."

Norfolk-based poultry farmers Nigel and Patrick Joice, who produce 5.8million birds per year, have been trialling the system since 2012. Their two 55kw biomass burners have managed to produce up to 93 per cent of the farm's heat requirements and this research has helped to shape legislation.