Biofuels: Carbon Emissions

(asked on 9th September 2015) - View Source

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of biomass energy crops in delivering carbon reductions as set out in the UK Bioenergy Strategy.


Answered by
Andrea Leadsom Portrait
Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 15th September 2015

The 2013/14 Renewables Obligation sustainability data [1] indicate that, for data available, the average greenhouse gas saving from energy crops on the European Union fossil fuel electricity average, by consignment, was approximately 90% (within a range of 85-94%). Feedstock data will begin being collected for Renewable Heat Incentive from the beginning of October, but energy crops are expected to make up a small proportion of heat biomass feedstock.

As recommended in the Bioenergy Strategy, this year the UK government is introducing mandatory sustainability criteria for biomass supported under the Renewables Obligation and the Renewable Heat Incentive. This will ensure that bioenergy feedstock is from sustainable land types, and that feedstock must meet a minimum 60% greenhouse gas saving on the EU fossil fuel electricity average. These requirements apply to energy crops.

[1] https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/biomass-sustainability-dataset-2013-14

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