MPs stress need to recover more energy from waste wood

But speaking in the House of Commons, Mrs Ruddock said it would have to be up to industry to develop protocols to encourage more waste wood to be used as recovered fuels.

Prompted by questions from the Labour MP for Southampton Test, Dr Alan Whitehead, the minister responsible for waste and recycling said 7.5 million tonnes of waste wood arises each year, of which “the vast majority – 6 million tonnes – is disposed of as landfill”.

But discussing bids to develop a Quality Protocol whereby clean waste wood might be declassified as a “waste”, Mrs Ruddock conceded that the Environment Agency has been unable to agree suitable controls.

“I am sorry to have to tell him that, because of the lack of agreement on suitable controls and standards, the Environment Agency and the industry have not been able to produce a protocol,” she said, adding: “We hope that the industry itself will make further progress on protocols.”

On a more positive note, the minister highlighted new guidance issued by the Agency this month confirming that waste generated in the production of virgin timber – such as off-cuts, shavings and sawdust – is now free from regulated control.

However, the minister confirmed: “Clean and treated non-virgin timber will remain classified as waste and regulated as normal through exemptions and waste legislation.”

Carbon

Raising the question as to whether the government is working to recover more energy from waste wood currently being sent to landfill, Dr Whitehead cited the “Climate Change: The UK Programme 2006” report. This report suggested that if waste wood that currently goes into landfill were diverted to use for fuel, it could account for more than 11% a year of the UK's carbon reduction targets.

Mrs Ruddock agreed that research “has concluded that there are significant energy and carbon benefits from recovering energy from waste wood, compared with sending it to landfill, where most of it currently goes”.

She said: “Defra is taking forward a programme of work to develop energy markets for waste wood by addressing the informational and practical barriers to expansion.”

Biofuels

Within this week's Defra questions in the House of Commons, Conservative MP for Fylde Michael Jack cast doubts as to whether Defra was doing enough to support the production of biofuels from wastes like waste wood.

Mr Jack, who currently chairs Parliament's EFRA Committee, which holds Defra to account, said: “Waste wood could be an important raw material source in the production of second-generation biofuels, whose importance becomes more apparent as we move towards the era of road transport fuels obligation and as we seek a solution to the food-fuel paradox. Not much seems to be happening in respect of developing second-generation biofuels in the UK.”

The minister responded by insisting that Defra was dealing with the issue “very actively”.
“What is needed first is a collection of wood and other biodegradable materials such as food waste, all of which could be used for the production of renewable fuels, and that is being done in a number of ways,” she said.

“We have an infrastructure programme, research is taking place, and we have support from WRAP, the waste and resources action programme. There are a variety of ways in which we expect to be able to develop more infrastructure, because, following the collection of raw materials, the introduction of appropriate infrastructure is the key.

Mrs Ruddock added: “WRAP is working on developing markets. We are also renewing the renewables obligation, and considering the possibility of its operating under a banded system. Electricity generated from waste wood, for example, would be eligible for support under the obligation.”

Public sector heating

David Taylor, Labour MP for North-West Lincolnshire, urged Mrs Ruddock to encourage more public sector bodies such as schools and hospitals to install heating systems to use waste wood as a fuel.

The minister agreed that “such schemes are important”, stating that “We expect both the private and the public sector to be increasingly prepared to use wood as fuel. At present 7.5 million tonnes of waste wood arise each year, of which the vast majority-6 million tonnes-is disposed of as landfill. If it could be used in the production of energy, that would be enormously beneficial.”