Bioenergy is expected to play a key role in our ability to meet the 2020 renewables target as well as longer term carbon reduction targets to 2030 and 2050. Our analysis suggests that bioenergy could account for up to half of the renewable energy required to meet the 2020 renewables target. Analysis undertaken as part of DECC’s 2050 calculator also points to the potential importance of bioenergy in meeting our longer term carbon reduction goals. However we recognise that, in order to achieve this ambition, biomass supplies will need to increase significantly and sustainably, in line with our policies for biodiversity, land use and climate change. Furthermore, we recognise that biomass can have a multiplicity of uses, including the production of sustainable industrial products.
Since the publication of the last UK Government Biomass Strategy (2007) the UK bioenergy sector has seen some important developments driven mainly by the introduction of EU wide renewables and carbon targets, a waste review, changes to the UK financial support mechanisms and new sustainability standards.
We have also seen an increase in our understanding of the economic, social and environmental implications of increasing biomass supplies on land use change. We therefore believe that it is timely to take stock of the key questions surrounding the use of biomass in the bioenergy sectors.
DECC is working with other Government Departments, Devolved Administrations, Government advisory and delivery bodies as well as stakeholders outside of Government on three main issues for the strategy:
- The availability of sustainable feedstocks to 2020 and beyond
- The potential impacts (economic and carbon) of using biomass in the energy sector against alternative uses
- The possibilities and implications of different uses of biomass feedstocks in the energy sector (electricity, heat and transport) to 2020 and beyond taking into account wider government objectives, such as cost effectiveness, carbon abatement potential, renewables targets and security of supply
Once completed, the strategy will aim to set out a strategic framework for use of bioenergy across heat, electricity and transport in order to achieve the cost effective delivery of our 2020 goals in a way that is consistent with other objectives across the economy and longer term carbon reduction ambitions to 2050.
We will publish our strategy in the spring.
In developing the strategy we will draw extensively on existing analytical reports including the AEA 2010 UK and Global Bioenergy resource report. The Government is also developing, in conjunction with the Committee on Climate Change, a tool to analyse potential scenarios for using biomass in the energy sector to 2020 and beyond.
Set out below are the questions we have been considering in developing the strategy. We have been collecting evidence on these issues, with kind assistance from inside and outside of Government.