Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland - Promoting and Accelerating the Market Penetration of Biomass Technology in Scotland

The Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) biomass energy group will consider and bring forward proposals that will:-

Create momentum in the development of a biomass industry that will (a) maximise the contribution that forestry, including secondary sawmill products, energy crops, and other arable based agricultural materials can make towards the achievement of a renewables technology mix and (b) contribute to sustainable rural development.

In particular the group will:

Provide a realistic assessment of the potential biomass resource both within and to Scotland and its suitability to support the growth of the biomass industry;
Identify the key challenges and opportunities for Scotland, drawing on experience from within the UK and elsewhere;
Identify the potential for rural regeneration including local wealth creation, and underpinning existing forestry and agriculture sector jobs;
Suggest measures to overcome the barriers to the development of a biomass supply chain and the growth of a biomass industry;
Assess the nature and scale of the financial/fiscal challenge to be overcome if biomass is to become commercially available, and suggest measures which could help achieve this;
Identify any planning or environmental issues that would need to be addressed to support the growth of the biomass industry;
Suggest how Scotland might secure a competitive advantage in the development of biomass;
Suggest suitable milestones and targets to promote the development of biomass in Scotland.

The Scottish Government