Why support biomass?
Sustainable biomasspower and CHP can provide predictable, on-demand generation (both clean electricity and heat), complementing the growth of other renewables, such as wind and solar. As a proven, mature technology it is also both cost-effective and rapidly deployable.
The Government currently advocates all forms of biomass generation: from brand new dedicated projects offering decades of energy security and employment; to conversion and co-firing of existing coal stations making cost-efficient use of existing infrastructure and ensuring vital capacity remains on the UK grid in the next few years when it will be badly needed. Combusting biomass to produce heat and power also delivers an energy conversion upwards of 75%, making CHP a highly efficient use of biomass resources, as well as an excellent way to decarbonise industry. Together with carbon capture and storage, biomass could even provide ‘the holy grail’ of negative carbon emissions.
A cornerstone of energy security
Reliable, resilient energy infrastructure is essential to a thriving economy, ensuring businesses and consumers have a secure supply of affordable energy. But energy regulator Ofgem has forecast an energy security crisis or ‘capacity crunch’ for the UK potentially as early as 2015. This would have disastrous effects on the costs and reliability of energy for hard pressed consumers and businesses already struggling to remain competitive. As the UK seeks to avert a capacity crunch and meet stretching renewable energy targets, we must look to technologies able to be delivered quickly and affordably now. As a mature, cost-competitive low-carbon technology, biomass power and CHP can deliver this much needed capacity in the short timeframe required.
Infrastructure for growth
According to the CBI, the green economy has made up a third of all UK growth through the economic crisis. The expanding bioenergy industry has already played a key role in this success story, and could contribute still further with enormous potential for investment and jobs (in both rural and urban areas) across a diverse supply chain which includes transport, farming, construction, engineering and environmental services. Investment in modern energy infrastructure like biomass power and CHP can provide a crucial short-term boost in terms of jobs, skills and economic regeneration, as well as laying strong foundations for a long-term, sustainable economic recovery.
We want to deliver a clear message to Government that if it puts the right policy framework in place, the biomass industry is shovel ready and willing to deliver investment, infrastructure long-term and energy security.
Join the campaign and help us call on Government to be bold, end the delays, and give investors the certainty they need to Back Biomass.
You can also download and send a longer letter to the Bioenergy team in the Department for Energy and Climate Change - the letter is in the right-hand corner of this page, entitled "Your Back Biomass Letter to Government".
