STONELEIGH, England (Reuters) - Gas made from agricultural crops and by-products such as cow slurry will play a key role in meeting Britain's energy needs over the next few years, the head of a new trade body said on Wednesday.

Lord Redesdale, chief executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association, which was launched on Wednesday, said he expects 1,000 plants to be built over the next five to 10 years at a cost of about 5 billion pounds ($8.23 billion).

He told reporters at the launch that the digesters, once they had all been built, would provide about 20 percent of Britain's domestic gas needs with a value of about 1.7 billion pounds a year based on current prices.

"If you are looking at the one renewable that can actually meet the real needs the country has for energy and the needs we have under climate change, this is the big one," Redesdale said.

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