Biomass is key solution to UK’s energy problems says task force

Biomass is key solution to UK’s energy problems says task force

	Published : Thu, 27 Oct 2005 00:35 By : Cedric Benson Print this Story

LONDON: Using biomass to generate heat could help Britain meet its target of reducing energy consumption and costs, besides cutting carbon dioxide emissions, a government task force said yesterday.

According to its estimates there could be as much as 20 million tonnes of biomass available annually which could be used as fuel to generate heat. The task force lists out 42 recommendations and urges the government to create a single information point on biomass that the whole nation could tap into.

Heat generation which consumes nearly 40 percent of the national energy production has been a major concern for the government which had last year appointed the task force to look into the prospects of renewable energy. Wood from forests, poplar, willow, straw and even sawdust are regarded as a renewable energy source because they can be grown again and would take up carbon unlike fossil fuels which are known for their carbon dioxide emissions.

The UK had set itself a target of reducing carbon emissions by as much as 60 percent by 2050. It also has a Kyoto Protocol commitment to bring greenhouse gas emissions 12. 5 percent lower than the levels seen in 1990.

The task force’s chairman Sir Ben Gill said biomass was the only sure way the government could tackle climate change. According to their calculations, using biomass for heat generation could reduce carbon emissions by almost 3 million tonnes a year. The only other means of reducing carbon emissions to this extent would be to take 3.25 million cars off the road.

Currently, biomass contributes a negligible 1.5 percent to the Britain’s electricity generation and 1 percent to heat generation, the group reported.

Its recommendations included a suggestion to subsidise the capital cost of biomass heat boilers up to 40 percent for five years. It could cost the government between £10 million and £20 million, an investment whose returns need to be measured in the long term benefits of using such an eco-friendly source of energy.

The key to controlling climate change is there right before us, chairman Sir Ben said. What is regarded as tomorrow’s fuel is here today, and we are currently using only 1.5 million tonnes of wood waste. The remaining 18.5 million tonnes of available biomass of all kinds, was being dumped - sent to landfill areas.

The task force’s report said there was much commercial potential in domestic heating boilers and large scale biomass boilers could be used to heat up government buildings whether in small towns or in cities.

As to doubts whether burning biomass would affect air quality, Sir Ben said the requisite technology was available to ensure air quality does not suffer.

Lord Bach, Britain’s Farming and Food minister said the government had welcomed the task force’s report and a cross departmental team would now develop a plan to take the work forward.