Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of infrastructure in the UK to (a) capture carbon from woody biomass burning at scale and (b) transport and store carbon dioxide.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As part of the cluster sequencing process, the Department has previously undertaken assessments of the potential CCUS capabilities of industrial clusters across the UK. The guidance and eligibility criteria for these assessments is available on gov.uk. The UK holds an estimated 78 billion tonnes of theoretical CO2 storage capacity in the UK continental shelf.
Whilst Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is not currently operating at scale in the UK, a 2021 evaluation of greenhouse gas removal technologies found BECCS to be at a technology readiness level of six out of a possible nine.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's consultation on a transitional support mechanism for large-scale biomass generators, published on 18 January 2024, what steps she has taken to ensure that the subsidies proposed in that consultation would not allow biomass companies to receive subsidies without capturing any carbon.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The consultation on potential transitional support arrangements for large scale biomass generators is with the express intention of facilitating their transition to power BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) in future, which will deliver valuable negative carbon emissions.
Subsidies under the future power BECCS business model are not considered within the scope of this consultation on potential transitional support.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's consultation on a transitional support mechanism for large-scale biomass generators, published on 18 January 2024, what steps she has taken to (a) cost and (b) carry out a cost/benefit analysis of the options for new subsidies in that consultation.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Any potential transitional support mechanism must be affordable and will be subject to rigorous value for money assessments to ensure tax and bill payer money is spent wisely. Further details of the cost-benefit analysis can be found in the Impact Assessment which accompanies the consultation publication.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's consultation on a transitional support mechanism for large-scale biomass generators, published on 18 January 2024, for what reason 31 March 2024 was chosen as the deadline for any party who considers they may be eligible for transitional support to contact her Department.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Biomass plays a key role in delivering a more secure, clean energy sector. Capturing emissions from power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage can remove significant volumes of CO2 from the atmosphere and support our net zero ambitions.
The date by which we have asked generators who consider they may be eligible to contact us is in line with the timeframes for potential negotiations which is outlined in the consultation. Any future formal eligibility assessment, subject to the outcome of the consultation, will be set out in the government response.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will launch a consultation before the summer recess on options for a new approach to consumer protection in the energy markets from April 2024 onwards, including on the introduction of a social tariff.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in the autumn statement, Government is exploring the best approach to consumer protection from April 2024, as part of wider retail market reforms. The Government will set out its proposals in due course.
Up to then, in response to higher prices, the Government have put in place the Energy Price Guarantee and provided significant additional support to help those who need it most through this winter and into 2023-24.