Threat of biomass
The government is being urged to its reassess the role of biomass in the UK's future energy mix, as one organisation warns that the entire UK forest harvest could be consumed by just three electricity-generating plants.
Karl Morris, managing director of wood-panel manufacturer Norbord, cited a draft report by the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency stating that the assumption that bioenergy is carbon neutral is flawed.
“The government has failed to take note of the wood-panel industry’s concerns,” said Morris. “Surely, if the EU’s environmental watchdog is expressing similar concerns, the time has come to pause and reconsider the headlong rush to biomass energy.”
Morris’s claims followed the announcement that a third large-scale biomass plant has been granted planning permission. About one million tonnes of biomass is currently burnt or co-fired in UK power stations each year, but expansion plans could see demand for biomass soar to 60 million tonnes a year.