The government must ensure the development of bioenergy and carbon capture storage (BECCS) plants is “robustly” monitored; the Environment Audit Committee has warned.
In correspondence with Kwasi Kwarteng, the House of Commons committee urges the secretary of state for business and energy to urgently provide clarity on the government’s policy towards BECCS, which involves burning biomass to generate electricity and then trapping the resulting carbon emissions.
Amid concerns that the extra demand for biomass created by the process could swallow up land, the committee has asked Kwarteng how BECCS is compatible with wider policy objectives to boost domestic and global biodiversity.
The letter presses for the government’s forthcoming Biomass Strategy to account for the whole lifecycle of biomass used in UK BECCS installations.
The committee also expresses concerns that current government policy on negative emission technologies (NETs) such BECCS and direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) could see heavy emitters dodge their responsibilities to cut emissions.
The committee calls for the government to review the approach in the Net Zero Strategy, which combines greenhouse gas reductions and removals targets
This combination of targets offers “little incentive” for industries to prioritise cutting emissions when NETs come on stream, it says.
The MPs also argue that the government is failing to take sufficiently swift action to roll out NETs technologies, which remain close to zero levels of deployment in the UK.
They warn that the government is yet to specify the sectors that could benefit from NETs and is offering “no direction” on the projects necessary to roll out such technologies, which it identifies as vital for removing emissions from hard-to-decarbonise sectors, such as steel and cement.
The committee expresses concern that the UK risks missing its opportunities to exploit NETs, thanks to its access to some of Europe’s best geological storage.
Philip Dunne MP, chairman of the committee, said: “Through our work, it is clear that government thinking on negative emissions technologies needs to be developed. These technologies will play an important role in meeting net zero, because to maintain viability of our steel and cement sectors they need to find ways to restrict the volume of greenhouse gases they emit.
“Presently there is little in terms of incentive, and very little in terms of any government direction or clarity. The fact that removal and reduction targets are combined enables many sectors averse or unable to cut emissions to dodge their responsibilities.
“Transparency and accountability must be improved by separating these targets out and highlighting the work that needs to be done.
“The sector is raring to go as soon as the government offers direction and clarity, but with so many unknowns we can understand why deployment of NETs in the UK is yet to gain traction.”