Tag Archives: electricity
UK Government Sets Biomass Power Rules
Electricity from biomass is expected to save 70% of greenhouse gas emissions 22/08/2013 UK government sets biomass power rules Financial support only available if sustainable Helen Tunnicliffe THE UK government has set new sustainability criteria for biomass to ensure that it contributes effectively to the country’s emissions reduction targets. Electricity from biomass is expected to save 70% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, but concerns have been raised that some of the wood chips and pellets used in biomass power stations is no better than coal and in some cases worse if it has been harvested in an unsustainable way, from a badly-managed plantation or shipped from thousands of miles away. The new standards announced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) are designed to address these concerns and apply to all companies generating 1 MW or more of energy from solid biomass or biogas which are claiming financial support under the Renewables Obligation (RO). The RO means that all generating companies must source a set proportion of their electricity from renewable energy, but receive a premium for doing so. From April 2015 onwards, electricity generating companies could face losing these financial incentives if they cannot prove that the biomass fuel for their plants meets the tough new standards. The sustainability criteria look at the way the source forest is managed, including ensuring that harvesting rates are sustainable, that biodiversity is protected and that indigenous populations retain their land use rights. DECC has also pledged not to make any more changes to the sustainability criteria before April 2027. Greg Barker, the minister of state for energy and climate change says that biomass is an important part of the UK’s energy mix. “The new criteria will provide the necessary investor certainty and, crucially, ensure that the biomass is delivered in a transparent and sustainable way,” he adds. The news has been welcomed by the Renewable Energy Authority (REA), which represents UK companies in the renewable energy industry. “These sustainability criteria ensure that the UK can reap the benefits of biomass, safe in the knowledge that it is making a real dent in our carbon emissions and that ecologically sensitive land is being protected. Biomass is a great way to bridge the looming capacity gap because it has all the same benefits as fossil fuels, such as reliability and flexibility of supply, but without the carbon impacts,” says REA CEO Nina Skorupska. The REA, however, warned that all biomass generation must be supported by the government. Earlier this month, RWE closed its Tilbury power station in the UK, which it had been converting from coal to biomass, when the government withdrew subsidies under the Contracts for Difference scheme which invests in low carbon technologies. Only combined heat and power (CHP) projects are now eligible for subsidies under this scheme, but REA points out that many otherwise suitable sites have no users for the heat generated. Continue reading
São Paulo Eyes Biomass Boom
[background=rgb(0, 128, 1) !important]29/07/2013[/background] The Brazilian state of São Paulo is predicting a major increase in biomass-powered electricity this decade and beyond. The state government’s latest energy strategy identifies sugar cane fired generation plant as a major growth area to help hit a new 69% renewable energy target by 2020. Combustion of cane residues is set to rocket from 2565MW in 2010 to 8.6GW by the end of the decade. This will leap further to 17.2GW by 2035. Other biomass fuels are also set to rise in the 2010 to 2035 time period. Forestry by-products will grow from 591MW to 1431MW, energy from waste will increase from zero to 391MW, and biogas will aim to expand from 62MW to 157MW. Wind energy will play its part with 457MW to be installed over the next 22 years from a standing start in 2010. Governor Geraldo Alckmin (pictured) said the expansion will cement São Paulo’s position as the Brazilian state with the highest percentage of renewable energy. Image: São Paulo government / Edson Lopes Jr Continue reading
UK Lacks Proper Dialogue On Biomass Worth
10 May 2013 Energy consumers face rising bills and a fast-approaching shortfall in electricity generating capacity. They deserve honesty and clarity about their options. Few energy sources match solid biomass in offering baseload energy, security of supply, cost-effectiveness and ability to ramp up when we need it – before 2015. Far from being a “reckless” choice, as some activists claim, it can and is being done sustainably. It will also cost the UK £44bn more to decarbonise without it. It is misleading to imply that a thriving British biomass sector would depend solely on British wood, swallowing up domestic supplies so there is none left for any other use. In fact, most of the supply is expected to be imported from Canada and the US, where supplies are plentiful. Electricity fuel imports are not new; we ship in most of our coal and a significant amount of gas. What is different is the Government’s requirement that the biomass supply chain shows an independently verifiable minimum 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with the EU fossil fuels grid average. This is only possible with sustainable sourcing and supply chains. Groups calling for a rejection of biomass rely on misused Government data and widely discredited pseudo-science divorced from the reality of the industry. It is time for a positive dialogue, rooted in evidence not emotion, so we can deliver a much-needed source of energy to the UK. Gaynor Hartnell, chief executive, Renewable Energy Association Continue reading
