« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
FORUM FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN SCOTLAND - PROMOTING AND ACCELERATING THE MARKET PENETRATION OF BIOMASS TECHNOLOGY IN SCOTLAND
CONCLUSIONS, KEY ACTIONS AND MILESTONES
1. There exists a significant opportunities to create a strong biomass industry across Scotland. Through doing so, significant economic and environmental benefits can be achieved. Sustainable job creation in existing sectors, such as forestry, agriculture and sawmilling, offers an immediate stimulus to supporting the development of the sector. Carbon emission reductions and local scale use of indigenous products supporting rural community development are further reasons why Scotland should exploit the opportunity offered by biomass development.
2. BEG has identified the scale of this economic opportunity, but we recognise that this cannot be achieved without concerted effort by both the public sector and industry.
3. Key actions are summarised below; it is the responsibility of a range of partners to ensure they are progressed.
Fuel Supply Issues
- Refined wood fuel estimates should be made available for industry use and planning.
- Level of support necessary to encourage growers of energy crops to be kept under review.
Infrastructure
- New plants to be located, where possible, in areas of wood fuel resource.
- Support targeted at innovation and development of the fuel supply chain to reduce costs and stimulate greater Scottish supply chain content.
- Fair and financially secure access to the electrical grid.
Demand Side
- Government acknowledgement of need for and commitment to public sector support, for infrastructure and CHP plants in particular.
Regulation:
- Revision of detailed planning guidance to support biomass development.
- Regulatory authorities to issue clear and consistent guidance.
- SEPA commitment to review its definition of 'waste' in line with practice elsewhere in Europe.
- Solution identified by Ofgem and industry to current problems associated with pre-blended material and its use in biomass plant for the purposes of ROC eligibility.
Co-firing
- Definition of 'energy crop' changed to include material derived from any woodland certified to the UK Woodland Assurance Standard.
Securing a Competitive Advantage
- Establishment of a customer and industry led Biomass Energy Network
- Appointment of further wood fuel development officers across Scotland.
- Campaign to support greater public awareness and acceptance of biomass as a fuel.
4. It is important that each of these actions is achieved. Especially critical are those relating to the availability of funding support and creation of a supportive regulatory environment without which any substantial project development will be stalled.
5. BEG urges all those charged with taking forward the actions recommended in this report to do so at the earliest opportunity. We recommend that FREDS should monitor progress on a regular basis and, as previously indicated, we suggest that BEG should be reconvened once conclusions emerge from the results of the UK study into renewable heat.
6. The establishment of a viable biomass sector would help secure all the benefits that forestry can bring to Scottish rural development, and make a considerable contribution to the Executive's priority of growing the Scottish economy in general. The sector can create and sustain jobs in the forestry, sawmill and agriculture sectors as well as at individual plant level. Many of these jobs in wood fuel production would be in the more remote and rural areas. The sector can therefore make a major contribution to the Scottish Green Jobs strategy. However, we do recognise that this cannot be achieved overnight. It may take a number of years to resolve many of the issues identified in this report and to create the necessary supportive environment in which a biomass industry can flourish.
« Previous | Contents | Next »