Biomass – waste wood, crops or waste burned for alternative fuel in power plants, is thought by many in the waste industry to have important potential for providing lower carbon fuel alternatives. However it does not enjoy the same publicity or encouragement as wind power and landfill gas.
The task force said there were a number of barriers to encouraging the take up and utilisation of biomass. It reminded the government of the amount of waste, in particular waste wood, that could be diverted from landfill through biomass.
It said that around five to six million tonnes of wood waste is currently generated per annum. Of this, around 1.4 million tonnes was recovered in 2004. Studies suggest that an additional 1.5 million tonnes of high quality waste wood and around two to three million tonnes of contaminated waste wood could potentially be recovered.
Energy markets
Explaining the barriers to developing the potential of biomass, the Task Force commented in the report: “What is preventing this from happening is the lack of a public body or organisation to co-ordinate the supply of this wood to appropriate energy markets. Such a body would need to work closely with organisations, such as the Waste and Resources Action Programme, to ensure that
wood of recyclable quality was not diverted to energy recovery.”
It was recommended that a support grant be fixed at 40% of capital expenditure of the boiler or CHP – combined heat and power equipment taking biomass, including the associated infrastructure needed, for five years and that this would yield a rapid increase in activity.
The object of the report is to shift the barriers standing in the way of greater use of biomass resource and to provide solutions leading to their removal.
Ignorance
Some of the main issues standing in the way of greater use of biomass as listed by the task force include: ignorance of the its potential as an energy source; issues associated with the designation of waste and implementation of relevant waste regulations; the lack of a robust supply chain and past market conditions which have undermined the viability of combined heat and power projects – which can utilise biomass.
The report also noted that “Overseas experience demonstrates the large potential to use biomass to fire heat systems and networks in industry, commerce, government building and local housing developments.”
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Moreover, it said that with present changes in relative fuel prices, the relative cost of biomass and gas and oil fired systems in changing. “In some circumstances biomass may even now be the best option. Though this is rarely recognised by investors,” said the report.
The Task Force explained that it aims to encourage more investment in the public sector. “The government estate contains 50,000 buildings. We see considerable possibilities for the public sector to increase the amount of investment both in heat networks and in standalone biomass-fuelled boilers for heating, if necessary by a programme of positive preference.”
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