In 2011 the Renewable Energy Association (REA) launched its "Back Biomass" campaign to urge the government to support biomass as part of "a secure, affordable, low carbon future for the UK".
The REA believes that power and CHP from sustainable biomass provides proven, practical, secure low carbon energy as part of a balanced energy mix.
"As well as stimulating economic growth and valuable green jobs in the UK, investment in biomass generation infrastructure will boost energy security and support other types of renewable generation coming on to the grid," the REA says. "Taxpayers’ money is tight and the UK is potentially facing an energy capacity crunch in the next few years. Biomass offers a highly affordable and rapidly deployable way to generate low carbon energy."
A key part of the campaign is around driving up forestry standards, helping to ensure that biomass is clean and sustainable.
REA chief executive Gaynor Hartnell said a healthy biomass for energy industry went hand in hand with forest growth.
"It ups the game and improves sustainable forestry practices," she told TTJ. "An undermanaged forest is not good for the environment or carbon capture.
"Also a healthy domestic biomass market will help create more value for forestry products. I see it as a win win situation."
She said the large-scale projects such as Drax were located near ports and would rely on imports rather than domestic supply.
However, other products were subject to multiple demands and timber was an internationally traded commodity, she said.
The REA welcomes the expansion of the biomass sustainability criteria to power stations of 1MW and above. Since 2011, biomass electricity generators over 50kW have been required to report against the criteria of a minimum 60% greenhouse gas emission saving for electricity generation using solid biomass or biogas; and restrictions on using materials from land with high biodiversity value or high carbon stock, including primary forest, peatland, and wetlands. From spring 2014 larger power stations will have to meet these criteria to receive Renewables Obligation Certificates.
Estover, an energy company planning to build local-scale biomass CHP plants in Scotland and England, supports the REA’s campaign.
"Our aim is to use as much wood fuel from the parts of the tree that have little or no use to other potential users," it says. "This supports production of higher-grade wood, making forestry and woodland management more economic."
