Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that new contracts for biomass do not lead to long-term reliance on imported feedstocks.

It is for generators to ensure they can source sufficient biomass to meet generation requirements and sustainability standards set out in Government support schemes.

The new low-carbon dispatchable CfD with Drax incorporates strengthened sustainability standards, including a reduction in the allowable supply chain emissions threshold from 50gCO2e/MJ to 36.6gCO2e/MJ, regardless of where material is sourced.

The UK does not have sufficient forest capacity to meet current and projected short-term demand for bioenergy feedstocks. The majority of biomass imported currently is a byproduct of the wider timber industry.