Eligible renewable sources and banding levels
The following table lists eligible renewable sources:
|
Sources
|
Eligibility
|
|
Landfill gas
|
Yes
|
|
Sewage gas
|
Yes
|
|
Hydro exceeding 20 megawatts declared net capacity (dnc)
|
Only stations commissioned after 1 April 2002
|
|
Hydro 20 megawatts or less dnc
|
Yes
|
|
Onshore wind
|
Yes
|
|
Offshore wind
|
Yes
|
|
Co-firing of biomass
|
Yes. (There are no restrictions on the amount of co-firing a generator can undertake. However, suppliers can only meet 12.5 percent of their obligation from co-fired ROCs.)
|
|
Other biomass
|
Yes
|
|
Geothermal power
|
Yes
|
|
Tidal and tidal stream power
|
Yes
|
|
Wave power
|
Yes
|
|
Photovoltaics
|
Yes
|
|
Energy crops
|
Yes
|
This table shows the eligibility of energy derived from waste:
|
Type of generating station
|
Mixed waste
|
Waste that is purely biomass
|
Energy crops, agricultural waste and forestry material
|
|
Incineration
|
Ineligible
|
|
|
|
Pyrolysis, gasification and anaerobic digestion
|
Eligible for the biomass fraction of waste
|
|
|
|
Combined heat and power (CHP)
|
Eligible for the biomass fraction of waste produced as good quality CHP [ 2] |
|
|
|
Co-firing
|
Ineligible
|
Eligible [ 1] (There are no restrictions on the amount of co-firing a generator can undertake. However, suppliers can only meet 12.5 percent of their obligation from co-fired ROCs.) |
|
Notes
- Subject to a maximum fossil-derived energy content of 12.5 percent
- CHP stations must be accredited under the CHP Quality Assurance Scheme to be eligible. Schemes that comply fully with the Good Quality benchmark receive Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) on the electricity generated from the biomass fraction of the waste. For schemes that comply partially, this is scaled back depending on their efficiency.
- Only stations first commissioned or re-equipped on or after 1 January 1990 (except micro-hydro and co-firing stations) are eligible
- All stations must be located within the UK, its territorial waters or the Continental Shelf
- The RO has been approved by the EU Commission and all eligible generation can expect to benefit from it. If a generating station receives or applies for a grant then it is the responsibility of the grantor of any additional aid - over and above that available through the RO, including banded ROCs - to ensure that there is a need to provide additional support and that the state aid cumulation rules are respected, this includes giving guidance on how ROC income is to be treated in determining the level of support. All RDAs and other public bodies making grants for the deployment of renewables generation have been made aware of their duties and should refer any questions about the level of support available under state aid rules to the State Aids unit in BIS in the first instance.
Banding levels
The following table details the current level of support under the RO in England and Wales:
| Technologies |
Level of support ROCs / MWh |
| Landfill gas |
0.25 |
| Sewage gas, co-firing on non-energy crop (regular) biomass |
0.5 |
| Onshore wind; hydro-electric; co-firing of energy crops; co-firing on non-energy crop (regular) biomass with CHP; EfW with combined heat and power; geopressure; the use of fuels made using standard gasification or pyrolysis; other not specified |
1.0 |
| Offshore wind1; co-firing of energy crops with CHP; dedicated regular biomass |
1.5 |
| Wave; tidal stream; fuels made using anaerobic digestion, advanced gasification or pyrolysis; dedicated biomass burning energy crops (with or without CHP); dedicated regular biomass with CHP; solar photovoltaic; geothermal; tidal Impoundment (i.e. tidal lagoons and tidal barrages (<1GW)); Microgeneration |
2.0 |
1. Offshore wind generation stations granted full accreditation or that have additional capacity recognised in the period 1/4/10 to 31/3/14 are awarded 2 ROCs/MWh
Where to get more information on the Renewables Obligation
The RO is administered by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). You can find out more on the Ofgem website, or contact:
The Renewables Obligation Team, Department of Energy and Climate Change, 3 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HH
Email: robr@decc.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 0300 068 5404