§ Lord Palmerasked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimate has been made of biomass production in the United Kingdom in 2010, the net reduction in greenhouse gas production arising from biomass production on a year-by-year basis between now and December 2010, and the total cost (including writing off research) per tonne of the carbon saved. [HL2958]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)It is estimated that biomass production in the UK in 2010 could reach around 3.5 million oven-dried tonnes. Of this total, around 2 million tonnes will be used for the production of heat, with the remaining 1.5 million tonnes for the production of electricity.
The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the total cost per tonne of carbon saved depend on the type of biomass, the technology used, and the fossil fuel displaced. A general guideline is that one tonne of biomass used for heat or electricity will result in a net saving of one tonne of carbon dioxide. Higher savings are achieved where coal is the displaced fuel or where combined heat and power technology is used. The cost of reduced greenhouse gas emissions from biomass energy is estimated to be about between £128 and £256 per tonne of carbon (£35–£70 per tonne carbon dioxide). Research costs are excluded from this calculation as the Government's biomass research programme underpins long-term development and it is unrealistic to write-off the cost by a set date.