Renewables group slams "unhelpful" biomass/CHP plan

London – The Government’s latest consultation for biomass power and CHP introduces new levels of complexity for biomass projects, and limit the amount of plant coming through, the Renewable Energy Association (REA) believes.

Biomass currently has to demonstrate greenhouse gas savings of 60% compared to fossil generation in order to qualify for support under the RO (1.5 ROCs per MWh for dedicated biomass and 2 ROCs per MWh for CHP).

“Proposing to cap the amount of new dedicated biomass generation is not helpful at a time when we should be bringing forward as much of the cheaper renewables as we can, said Gaynor Hartnell chief executive of the REA.

Meanwhile, biomass CHP, which offers a highly efficient use of biomass, has received little investment because the CHP uplift under the RO will be withdrawn in 2015.

The REA recently organised an open letter from over 200 companies and organisations to the prime minister and deputy prime minister, urging them to put renewables at the heart of UK growth strategy, and to address the burgeoning complexity of the renewables policy framework.

“Renewables can support a much bigger and broader vision for jobs and growth than we’ve seen so far from this Government,” said Hartnell. “First Government needs to acknowledge that, and then we need a stable and effective policy framework to achieve it.”

“Instead of ramping up progress, Government is actually making the project development process unworkable for some technologies. The Coalition must focus not only on the tremendous benefits renewables have to offer the UK, but also on the overall framework and approach, which has become overly complex and debilitating.”