Biomass is UK’s ‘most important’ renewable energy resource
October 13, 2010 at 1:06 pm No comments Category: UncategorizedClimate change minister Greg Barker has described biomass as the UK’s “single most important” renewable energy resource on account of its versatility in producing heat, electricity and transport biofuels.
Speaking at the Renewable Energy Association’s (REA) annual bioenergy conference and exhibition in Warwickshire last week (October 6), Mr Barker said that the biomass sector was expected to contribute around half of the UK’s renewable energy targets by 2020.
He said: “We see a crucial role for bioenergy at all scales because of its versatility in producing heat, electricity and transport biofuels. Biomass is the UK’s single most important renewable energy source. It also provides a controllable supply, irrespective of weather conditions.
“So unlike intermittent energy technologies such as wind power, it can provide both peak load and base load power.”
However, the minister underlined that there was no “silver bullet” to solve the UK’s energy needs and claimed that a wide range of renewable technologies were needed, including wind, water, solar and geothermal, as well as bioenergy.
Sustainable
In terms of boosting bioenergy generation, Mr Barker spoke of the importance of addressing the issue of sustainability in order to improve public support for the resource.
He said: “The starting point for bio-energy is a sustainable supply of biomass feedstocks. It is essential to ensure bioenergy delivers genuine carbon emissions reductions, and avoids damaging the environment or food supplies. Public support for bioenergy rightly depends on this.”
The minister noted that the government aims to introduce sustainability criteria that will require a minimum 60% greenhouse gas emission saving for biomass and biogas electricity generation compared to fossil fuel. This was proposed in the Renewables Obligation Order 2011 consultation, which runs until October 19 (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).
Support
Mr Barker also acknowledged that the sector needed confidence in the government’s long term commitment to bioenergy and claimed that the key to achieving this was “TLC” – transparency, longevity and certainty of income.
On financial support for the sector, he stressed: “The coalition agreement makes clear our commitment to maintaining a banded Renewables Obligation alongside a commitment to implementing a full Feed-in Tariff with the aim of securing a significant increase in renewables.
“We are currently working through options for implementing this commitment. It is complex area, and any changes to support mechanisms need to be considered in light of any wider reform to the electricity market.”
He added that the government will set out detailed proposals on how to take forward action on renewable heat through the Spending Review.
Visit
After his speech, Mr Barker visited the exhibition to see various technologies, including equipment which cleans up biogas so that it can be injected into the gas distribution network. He also drove a new Volkswagen BioBug, fuelled by biogas, converted with BRC gas equipment, out of the exhibition centre and around Stoneleigh Park.
Commenting on his visit to the conference, Gaynor Hartnell, chief executive of the REA, said: “Greg Barker clearly understands the importance of bioenergy. He expects its contribution to future energy needs to be massive. He also sees it operating across all scales, from applications in households and the community, right up to large scale power plant.
“He understands the industry has undergone a prolonged period of uncertainty, which should soon come to an end. It’s great to see that bioenergy now looks set to get the political attention it deserves.”
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