§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what specific fuel will be used by the biomass energy industry to produce electricity or heat for domestic consumption [185843]
§ Mr. TimmsThe biomass industry will use a range of fuels for production of energy—including all of those eligible for the Renewables Obligation such as straw, willow, miscanthus and forestry residues.
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§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the expected percentage of renewable energy to be derived from wood biomass is in(a) 2010, (b) 2015 and (c) 2020. [185844]
§ Mr. TimmsThe Government have set a target that 10 per cent. of electricity supply in the UK will come from renewables by 2010 and an aspiration to double this by 2020. The Government does not set targets for contributions from individual renewable resources.
However the Renewables Innovation Review indicated a practical potential for biomass of some six per cent. of electricity supply by 2020 based on a range of assumptions
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her assessment of the(a) resource implications and (b) environmental impacts of the movement of biomass over to fuel large power stations is. [185846]
§ Mr. TimmsAssessments of biomass resource have been published in the course of the Renewables Innovation Review and the Statuiory Consultation on Amendments to the Renewables Obligation Order.
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution made an assessment of the carbon dioxide associated with biomass production and transport in their recent report on Biomass as a Renewable Energy Source. Total life cycle emissions from biomass remain low compared to fossil-fuel fired power plant.
Individual projects will make their own assessments of environmental impact as part of their application for planning consent.