§ Lord McNairasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made in the development of the refuse derived fuel industry in the United Kingdom; and how their policies are assisting its evolution.
§ Baroness BlatchThe Government's policy is to encourage the use of waste as a fuel wherever it is economically viable and environmentally acceptable to do so. My department spent about £12 million between 1974 and 1986 on pilot schemes for the manufacture and use of refuse derived fuel pellets. There are four commercial refuse derived fuel plants producing fuel from municipal waste in the United Kingdom today. The Department of Energy is now undertaking a substantial programme of research and development aimed at overcoming the difficulties associated with the handling, storage and burning of refuse derived fuel.
The non-fossil fuel obligation placed on regional electricity companies will also help to encourage the use of refuse derived fuel to generate electricity. Two plants using refuse derived fuel were successful in bidding for generating capacity under the first tranche of the non-fossil fuel obligation. RDF plants are now eligible to bid for the second tranche which was announced last year.