Biomass Crops (Hansard, 1 July 2002)

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what public money has been spent in research and promotion in each of the past five years concerning(a) biomass energy crops and (b) biofuels for road transport; and if she will make a statement. [64119]

§ Margaret Beckett
This Department co-ordinates government research into biomass energy crops and total public expenditure amounts to approximately £2.75 million per annum and has been stable at this level over the last five years. The production technology for transport biofuels from UK grown crops is mature and this results in a low research spend. Expenditure by this Department in the current financial year amounts to £20,000 on work in support of policy development. Expenditure in the previous four years was nil, although the Department does have a large portfolio of research, costing about £6 million per annum, supporting the primary production of crops such as oilseed rape, wheat and potatoes which have the potential to be used for transport fuel production. It is not possible to separately identify the cost of promotion in respect of biomass energy crops and biofuels. The Department has included generic promotion of non-food crops in its work at agricultural shows. We have also organised and attended a small number of promotional meetings and seminars linked to the development of markets for solid biomass crops. The promotion of biomass crops also takes place through our work in support of the England Rural Development Programme, the Energy Crops Scheme forming one element of that programme.

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the amount of carbon saved from 1 million tonnes of biodiesel and bioethanol substituted for the equivalent amount of fossil diesel and petrol; and if she will make a statement. [64128]

§ Margaret Beckett
The replacement of one million tonnes of fossil diesel with biodiesel from oilseed rape would save between 500,000 and 700,000 tonnes of carbon. Research into the production of bioethanol from starch or sugar crops generally indicates that slightly less carbon is saved through replacing petrol with bioethanol when compared with replacing fossil diesel with biodiesel. In the Budget my right hon. Friend the Chancellor confirmed the new duty rate for biodiesel set at 20 pence per litre below the rate for Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel. The Government have also launched a second round of the Green Fuel Challenge inviting bids for pilot projects for biofuels, including bioethanol, which would qualify for duty reductions. The Forum on the Non-Food Uses of Crops is studying the potential of biodiesel and bioethanol. The Government are considering carefully the recommendation of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food that duty on biofuels should be reduced to the rates applied to other clean fuels.
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§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the amount of carbon saved in each of the last five years by the use of biomass crops grown in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [64127]

§ Margaret Beckett
One hectare of biomass crops yielding the equivalent of eight tonnes per annum has the potential to save about two tonnes of carbon each year. Achieving these carbon savings depends on functioning end markets for the utilisation of biomass crops. Most plantings of purpose grown energy crops have, to date, been to provide fuel for the Arbre biomass power station near Selby which expects to begin full operation later this year. In April the Government launched the Bioenergy Capital Grant Scheme which will develop markets for biomass, including purpose grown energy crops and material from forests, in heat, combined heat and power and electricity generation. Further funding will be available from a Community and Household Capital Grant Scheme which will be launched later this year. Officials are also working closely with the Local Support Teams set up by the Countryside Agency, through the Community Renewables Initiative, to develop markets for renewables.