Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of the carbon footprint of importing wood pellets in the last 10 years.

Emissions from importing wood pellets are constrained by biomass sustainability requirements. The supply chain emissions threshold for large scale biomass electricity generators to receive support is capped at 55.6gCO2e/MJ. This threshold will be tightened further under proposed future arrangements with Drax to 36.6 gCO2e/MJ.

Compliance with sustainability criteria under the Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference schemes are a matter for Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, and LCCC, as the counterparty to the CfD.

Large scale biomass generators, such as Drax, do also publish emissions data as part of their annual ESG reports.