Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of retaining the requirement of minimum energy efficiency standards for new biomass plants in future contract for difference projects.

In June 2018 the Government published Part A of the response to the December 2017 consultation on proposed amendments to the Contracts for Difference scheme.

This stated that the Government intended to require all dedicated biomass with CHP, and energy from waste with CHP, schemes applying for new support contracts under the Contract for Difference scheme to have a minimum overall efficiency of 70% (net calorific value).