Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information his Department holds on the proportion of biomass used for power generation in the last three years for which data is available that comprises (a) roundwood, (b) diseased trees, broken branches and unused sawdust that would otherwise go to waste and (c) other wood in (i) Drax and (ii) other biomass power stations.

In 2009 the Renewables Obligation Order introduced the requirements for generating stations using biomass fuels to report against sustainability criteria. Datasets for four reporting years have been published. These detail the types of biomass used. The dataset for 2012-13 is at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/biomass-sustainability-dataset-2012-13.

The dataset for 2011-12 is at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/annual-sustainability-report-2011-2012.

The dataset for 2010-11 is at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/annual-sustainability-report-2010-11.

The dataset does not provide a comparable breakdown by roundwood, diseased trees, broken branches, unused sawdust that would otherwise go to waste and other wood used by Drax and other biomass power stations except where generators have provided further descriptions of the material used, in addition to the reporting requirements.

The reporting requirements include the following: fuel name, biomass type and biomass form.

Our intention is for the sustainability criteria to become mandatory from April 2015 for stations of 1MW and above wishing to claim support under the Renewables Obligation, Renewable Heat Incentive, Investment Contracts and future Contracts for Difference.