§ 50. Mr. IrvineTo ask the Secretaryof State for Energy what recent assessment his Department has made of the possibilities for the generation of electricity from landfill gases; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThere is great uncertainty about projections for renewable sources of energy. Based on data given in "Energy Paper 55—"Renewable Energy in the UK: The Way Forward", it has been estimated that by the year 2025 up to 4.5 per cent. of current energy requirements might come from a wide range of biomass sources if the diverse technologies involved can be successfully developed and applied.
It is not yet possible to assess with any certainty the contribution which electricity generation from landfill gases will make towards this proportion. However, there are indications that approximately 200 MW of landfill gas-fired generating capacity would be operating by the turn of the century.