Decc said in a statement on Thursday morning that its new scientific calculator proves that biomass can be sourced for power generation in a low carbon and sustainable way, and that generators should use its criteria to judge whether they are compliant with government rules.
“This calculator shows that, done well, biomass can offer real carbon savings – which is why we are tightening our rules for sustainable biomass. Any producer who doesn’t meet those standards will lose financial support from next year,” said energy secretary Ed Davey.
The government implemented new sustainability criteria late last year which it claimed were “amongst the toughest in the world” following criticism from some UK green NGOs that burning wood for power could be “dirtier than coal”.
The UK’s largest biomass generator Drax welcome the government’s standards saying they are in keeping with sustainable practice which is already in place.
“As we would expect, the scenarios that more closely reflect real world practices in sustainable forestry and responsible biomass sourcing confirm that using biomass in place of coal can deliver significant carbon savings in the short, medium and long term,” a statement from the company said.
Drax chief executive Dorothy Thompson added: “Sustainability has always been absolutely central to our biomass strategy. The academic study by Decc confirms what Drax has always argued, that there is a right way to source biomass and a wrong way.”