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27-04-2009
Source: New Energy Focus http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=2539 One of the makers of Marks & Spencers ready meals is to use its own food waste to power its factory in Newport, South Wales. RF Brookes, part of Premier Foods plc, has been awarded £500,000 by the Welsh Assembly government towards its own £5 million anaerobic digestion plant at its Rogerstone site. The facility is expected to be in operation by the end of next year, turning the company's waste material into biogas, which would be used to generate heat and electricity. It is expected to produce about 10% of the factory's power, reducing carbon emissions by about 8,500 tonnes a year. The new Rogerstone anaerobic digestion facility will be built and operated by Premier Renewable Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of on-site waste-to-energy developer InSource Energy. It is expected to use around 10,000 tonnes of food waste each year as a feedstock. A spokeswoman for the Assembly government told New Energy Focus that the facility would generate 300kW of electrical power, along with 400kW of hot water for use in the factory. Confidence InSource, a joint venture between the government's Carbon Trust and power utility Scottish and Southern Energy, said the level of venture capital now being made available for food waste energy projects should give confidence to other investors. The government's Waste and Resources Action Programme, which administers the fund supporting the RF Brookes project, said further funding was available for other anaerobic digestion plants, with the next call for applications expected in July 2009. Peter Webster, WRAP's Cymru market development manager, said: "We expect this to be the first of several plants to be established, and we have recently launched another programme of funding which will hopefully carry the initiative forward to 2014." M&S RF Brookes said it has a target to stop sending waste to landfill by 2015, and that the new AD plant would help towards the aim. The company is a major supplier to Marks and Spencer, along with other retailers, and M&S said it is encouraging all its suppliers to consider digestion technology to convert food waste to renewable energy. The technology involves organic waste being liquidised and then broken down by bacteria, which produce energy-rich bio-methane and an organic residue that can be used as an agricultural fertiliser. Richard Gillies, a director at the retailer, said: "Using anaerobic digestion to generate renewable electricity is one of the commitments M&S made as part of our Plan A - our 100-point eco-plan. "We encourage all our suppliers to consider environmentally efficient initiatives like anaerobic digestion - that's why we're very supportive of RF Brookes' project, and we wish them every success with the site."
Food waste to power Marks and Spencer ready meals factory - ,
14-04-2009
31st March - 3rd April 2009 Funding was recently obtained from Advantage West Midlands for the Bioenergy West Midlands initiative to run two short Study Tours, one to Sweden and one to Germany. The aim of the Tours was to enable small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), including Farmers, in the West Midlands to travel to these countries to see first hand how the Bioenergy industry functions there, to learn how it has developed and to gain knowledge of best practice. The theme for the Swedish Study Tour was decentralised heating and energy networks using wood fuel and other Biomass for heating and combined heat and power. Sixteen places were filled on the Tour by a range of West Midlands SMEs and organisations, from those who work in the forestry industry to organisations intending to install and use biomass boilers on a small scale. A representative from the Bishops Castle Power represented a larger scale Biomass power project, and a local government sustainability officer also accompanied the Tour. The Tour was arranged with the help of the Energy Agency for Southeast Sweden, and concentrated on site visits in the South of Sweden. Site visits included 3 district heating networks of different sizes, from a self-organised farmer run 300kW heating network supplying 6 houses, a school and church to a medium scale municipal 4 mW network supplying a Volvo car factory and about 200 houses. A vast 104 mW wood chip fuelled CHP plant with district heating network was also visited, that provides a large proportion of the heating and electricity needs of Växjö, a city of approximately 1 million inhabitants. We also visited a forestry harvesting and chipping business that turns otherwise unused by-products of the forestry industry’s supply to paper and sawmills, such as branches and tree tops, into wood chip fuel. The Tour also looked at other types of fuels, such as the pelletising process with a site visit to the Derome Sawmills and Wood Pellet production plant. We visited Biagrolife, a research facility that is experimenting with pelletising agricultural waste products such as unused grain and seeds. We also visited a small farm-scale Anaerobic Digester, where the gas produced is upgraded using a simple scrubbing method to produce a vehicle fuel. Feedback from the trip was positive, and one delegate commented that “seeing the technologies in commercial operation” was the most useful aspect of the Tour. Another noted that it was “Certainly one of the best trips that I have been on - made particularly so by the friendship, interests and experience shared amongst the group.”
Bioenergy West Midlands Study Tour to Sweden - ,
26-02-2009
Supermarket chain Sainsbury's is expanding its trials running vehicles on biogas made from landfilled waste, with an order for five more of its vehicles to be converted. The company has been running one of its Mercedes-Benz Axor lorries since August, fitted with "Dual-Fuel" technology allowing it to use a combination of diesel and biomethane. Clean Air Power, the company that pioneered the technology, reported today that the supermarket has ordered five more of the Genesis Dual Fuel installations. The firm said the order from Sainsbury's represented an "ongoing commitment" by the supermarket chain to reduce its road transport emissions. Clean Air Power, which has its head office in High Wycombe, says its technology allows up to 50% of a vehicle's diesel to be replaced by natural gas or, in this case, biogas. The Sainsbury's "Running on Rubbish" trials have involved the Mercedes vehicle running on a 500km round trip between the chain's new "green store" in Dartmouth, Devon, and a depot in Bristol. Biogas used in the trials has been supplied by Warwick-based company Gasrec Ltd, produced from landfill gas emitted by a site in Surrey run by waste firm SITA UK. Gary King, Sainsbury's logistics operations support manager, said: "Sainsbury's is keen to continue the evaluation of this product in order to gain a better understanding of the use of this type of fuel within our operation. The purchasing of the Genesis units demonstrates our continued commitment of respecting the environment by seeking alternative sustainable fuels." Clean Air Power claimed the supermarket would cut emissions from converted vehicles by 30% using the biogas/diesel dual fuel. And, it said there would be "significant" savings on fuel costs, while engine performance and efficiency would be maintained. Source: New Energy Focus http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=2267§ion=Bioenergy%20%26%20Waste
Sainsbury's expands biogas-powered vehicle trials - ,
17-02-09
26-02-2009
Source: New Energy Focus The generation of biogas from the nation's food waste, farm waste and sewage sludge could contribute up to 7.5% of the renewable energy needed to hit UK targets in 2020. That was the claim within the government's new anaerobic digestion "vision" unveiled by environment minister Jane Kennedy this morning at the National Farmers' Union annual conference in Birmingham. The minister identified farmers as having a key role in helping spread the use of anaerobic digestion technology around the country. The technology involves organic material being digested by bacteria in huge tanks, which produces a methane-rich biogas and a residue that can be used as an agricultural fertiliser. It is claimed that anaerobic digestion plants could save the equivalent of a tonne of carbon dioxide emissions for each tonne of food waste used as a feedstock, compared to sending the material to landfill. The NFU believes as many as 1,000 farms could run AD plants by 2020, alongside 100 large-scale "commercial" plants in which farmers may also have an interest. The farmers' union said its ambitions for the spread of AD plants would see farmers involved in around 800MW of electrical generating capacity by 2020 - "contributing both heat and electricity equivalent to up to 4.5% of the UK's renewable energy target over the next 11 years. Shared Goals The government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published a "shared goals" document today, setting out how farmers, industry, regulators, local authorities and the research community will deliver a network of AD plants around the UK. Some 35 organisations have signed up to the document http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/ad/pdf/ad-endorsements-090217.pdf so far, including major supermarkets, biogas companies, the water industry, dairy industry, food industry and National Grid. Defra said initial analysis suggested that more than 100 million tonnes of waste feedstock is available each year in the UK that could produce biogas - including up to 20 million tonnes of food waste, 90 million tonnes of farm waste and nearly two million tonnes of sewage sludge. Biogas could also be produced by dedicated energy crops, the Department suggested. It claimed that such feedstocks could result in biogas production that could provide between 10 and 20 TWh of heat and power by 2020. The technology is already dealing with around two thirds of the nation's sewage sludge, but only a handful of commercial plants are currently using food waste to produce biogas. Industry Defra said anaerobic digestion will be important for the food and drink industry to meet its targets to stop sending packaging waste to landfill from 2015. And, it said the water industry's bid to source 20% of its energy from renewables by 2020 would be assisted by AD projects. The dairy industry is actively involved in setting up 30 pilot on-farm anaerobic digestion plants by 2010 and three large-scale AD plants by 2015, the government said. Trade body Dairy UK is currently working with its members on feasibility studies. The environment department has formed a new Task Group to develop an Implementation Plan for anaerobic digestion. The group will be chaired by Steve Lee, the former Environment Agency policy chief who now leads the waste industry's professional body, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. NFU renewable energy adviser Dr Jonathan Scurlock welcomed the new Defra vision on AD. "The NFU has been instrumental in working with Defra on these plans to boost the UK's capability for anaerobic digestion," he said. "This vision for agriculture and waste management is a step in the right direction and we look forward to working with Stephen Lee of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management to implement these shared goals for anaerobic digestion." See Also:
Minister outlines biogas "vision" at national farmers' conference, 17th February 2009 - ,
22-12-2008
Responding to a need for easy to access information about grant funding for Bioenergy schemes, BioenergyWM asked Marches Energy Agency to produce a guide to funding and support programmes available in the West Midlands. This Guide was launched at the West Midlands Bioenergy Conference on 16th December 2008 and is now available to download from the BioenergyWM website. It identifies both West Midlands and UK-wide sources of grants and funding for Bioenergy Projects, as well as projects actively supporting Bioenergy projects in the West Midlands Region.
Guide to Funding and Support Projects in the West Midlands is Launched - ,
11-12-2008
The fifth round of the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme was launched on 10th December 2008. This round will be funded by DECC and is for England only. The application window is open until 30 April 2009. The purpose of the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme is to promote the efficient use of biomass for energy, by stimulating the early deployment of biomass fuelled heat and biomass combined heat and power projects. It will do this by awarding capital grants towards the cost of equipment in complete installations. Applications will be assessed as and when they are received, rather than being left until the end of the application window. It is intended that applicants are notified of the decision on their project within 4-6 weeks of receipt of the application. Responsibility for the scheme has transferred from Defra to the new Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Detailed guidance notes explaining the scheme, plus the application form, are available to download from the website at: www.bioenergycapitalgrants.org.uk
Fifth Round of the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme Open for Applications - ,
01-12-2008
Source: www.cla.org.uk The CLA was "delighted" on Thursday 27th November 2008 that the Energy Act includes measures to double the support for energy from biomass CHP and biogas and to make collection and settlement of Obligation Certificates easier – but expressed concern that there is still no timetable for the introduction of the proposed new support for Renewable Heat. The Energy Bill was tabled this year shortly after the UK government signed up to a joint EU target to achieve 20 percent of energy supplies from renewables by 2020. The Energy Bill received Royal Assent yesterday. It also includes measures to enable Government to introduce support for renewable heat, such as biomass and woodfuel boilers. This will in time transform the markets for sustainable fuels from woodland management, bringing benefits to biodiversity and the rural economy and helping to address both climate change and energy security. CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: "While we are delighted to have won the argument on renewable heat, the CLA is concerned there is still no timetable for their introduction. "As we explained to Lord Hunt on Monday, the Government must take action to introduce both a feed-in tariff and a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) as soon as possible. This is essential both to give certainty to business and to allow investment to come forward speedily in order to meet the 2020 Renewables Directive target." The CLA President added: "We are concerned that delay in introducing these measures will harm the many SMEs that have invested in training and equipment to deliver domestic and smaller scale renewables in both the heat and electricity sector." The CLA calls on the Government to consider three proposals: 1. The allocation of sufficient resources to ensure that administrative and regulatory mechanisms for the RHI are put in place without delay. It should be feasible to draft, consult, design and appoint an administration to deliver the RHI by April 2010. 2. The announcement of a formal commitment to Parliament that investors who instal renewable heat equipment after the date of your announcement will be able retrospectively to claim support under the RHI as soon as Government has come to a decision on the methodology and levels of support. This is a mechanism that has been adapted to avoid hiatus and bring forward investment in the changes introduced to band the Renewables Obligation. 3. The announcement of new rounds of the Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme, the Bioenergy Infrastructure Scheme, and the Low Carbon Building
CLA welcomes The Energy Act - ,
01-12-2008
Source: www.newenergyfocus.com Three critical prices of climate change and energy legislation formally became law yesterday, making the UK the first country in the world to legally bind itself to cutting greenhouse gases. The Climate Change Bill, which legally commits the UK to meeting its 80% carbon reduction targets by 2050, the Planning Bill and the Energy Bill were all granted Royal Assent in Parliament yesterday evening. It is expected that the three Acts will have a significant impact on the growth of renewable energy in the UK. Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said: "The UK is the first country in the world to introduce a legally-binding framework to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Setting the 80% target was the easy part. Now the work really begins." He continued: "The Energy and Planning Acts will be instrumental in reducing carbon emissions, removing barriers to enable industry to invest in important new infrastructure and giving individuals and communities the incentive to use energy more efficiently and generate their own heat and energy." The Climate Change Act Hailed as a "world class piece of legislation" by green groups, the Climate Change Bill was introduced to Parliament just over a year ago by Hilary Benn MP, now Secretary of State for the Environment. It binds the UK to meeting its greenhouse gas emission targets as well as a series of five year ‘interim targets' which are set to take the UK's share of international aviation and shipping emissions into account. The carbon reduction targets, as set out in the Act, are 26% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. And, it has been reported that the first five-year climate change ‘budget' - required by the new Act - will be published by the Committee on Climate Change on 1 December. More generally the Climate Change Act places a duty on the Government to assess the risk to the UK from the impacts of climate change, and requires the Committee on Climate Change, at present chaired by Lord Hunt, to advise on carbon emissions targets and to set the balance between domestic emissions and carbon credits. Friends of the Earth's executive director Andy Atkins said: "The Climate Change Bill is a world class piece of legislation that should make the UK an international leader in tackling climate change."Ministers must now rapidly develop a low-carbon economy", he added. "Investing in green energy and cutting energy waste will also create exciting new business opportunity, many thousands of jobs and help lead Britain out of recession." Energy Act 2008 The Energy Act was introduced last Autumn by the then Energy Minister John Hutton, and Lord Johns at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. According to Parliament, the Energy Act (2008) is driven "by the two long-term energy challenges faced by the UK: tackling climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and ensuring secure, clean and affordable energy." Critically, it introduces feed-in tariffs for renewables projects of up to 5MW, as well as "strengthening" the Renewables Obligation. It also creates a framework to enable private sector investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects and gives the energy regulator Ofgem greater powers to run the offshore electricity licensing regime more effectively. "Britain's renewable energy potential is enormous," said Andy Atkins of Friends of the Earth. "The inclusion of a feed in tariff in the Energy Bill will hopefully encourage homes, businesses and communities to install green energy systems and play a key role in cutting emissions. Ministers must ensure that payments are high enough to make this happen." Planning Act Introduced to Parliament last Autumn by Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Hazel Blears, the Planning Act is chiefly concerned with speeding up the planning process for large national infrastructure projects and the avoidance of "long running public enquiries". The Act creates a new Infrastructure Planning Commission, which will make decisions on renewable energy projects over 50MW. It also introduces new national policy statements that will include carbon reduction policy that will be applied to all decisions taken. Ms Blears said: "There is enough renewable energy caught up in the system to power over one and a half million homes and the current planning system cannot cope." But Friends of the Earth did not welcome the Act, calling it "undemocratic" and likely to cause direct action reminiscent of 1980s road protests. The green group's planning campaigner Dr Hugh Ellis said: "The Planning Bill is not strong enough to ensure that climate change is properly considered in decisions about major projects such as airports, roads and power stations." Earlier this month the Planning and Energy Bill was given Royal Assent. It requires developers to source at least 10% of any new building's energy from renewable sources, implementing nationwide the 'Merton Rule', named after the sustainable planning policy of the London Borough of Merton.
UK leads on climate change as Bill trio becomes law - ,
03-11-2008
The face of the UK's Anaerobic Digestion (AD) industry is set to change significantly as the country's leading operator BIOGEN (UK) Ltd acquires leading technology provider Greenfinch Ltd. For more details see:
BIOGEN acquires leading technology provider Greenfinch - ,
BiogenGreenfinch will hold a unique position in the UK as a business with the capability and capacity to deliver a fully integrated AD solution to the agricultural, food, waste and water industries and to local authorities. BIOGEN's integrated clean AD plants recycle food waste to produce a valuable biofertiliser and renewable energy and along with Greenfinch they have been responsible for the development of 12 plants to date throughout the UK.
31-10-2008
The new department brings together much of Defra’s existing climate change responsibilities with the energy component from BERR, to focus on solving the challenges of climate change and energy supply. Ed Miliband has been appointed the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Mr Miliband has already committed the UK to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% on 1990 levels by 2050, and has announced an amendment to the Energy Bill to introduce a feed in tariff to support small scale renewables, and will make a further announcement soon on encouraging renewable heat.
Department for Energy and Climate Change Created - ,
20-10-2008
Energy Secretary Ed Milliband announced on 16th October 2008 that an amendment to the Energy Bill will be added to introduce feed-in Tariffs for small-scale green energy generators. Feed-in tariffs are effectively long-term contracts that will offer the generators of renewable energy a guaranteed price for their power above the general market rate for electricity. The Feed-in tariff will help small businesses, community projects and householders to make investment decisions based on long term guaranteed premium prices for the power their systems generate. This announcement does not change the Renewable Obligation system for larger scale renewable energy generators. For more detail about the feed-in Tariffs, see the main story at http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=1832§ion=On-site%20%26%20Micro%2CLegislation%2CSolar%2CWind
Feed-in Tariff for Small Scale Renewable Electricity Generators Announced - ,
25-09-2008
Start Date 16/09/2008 Closing date: 9/12/2008 The demonstration programme for the Environmental Transformation Fund is seeking to fund between 3 and 6 full scale AD projects which between them, meet the five key aims of the programme. These are to: · maximise the cost effective production of biogas; · maximise the environmental benefits from the use of anaerobic digestion and its products; · maximise the potential of anaerobic digestion to reduce the carbon footprint of the food supply chain; · maximise the opportunity for the injection of biomethane into the gas grid; and · maximise the potential of anaerobic digestion to reduce the carbon footprint of water treatment infrastructure. This £10M programme focuses on supporting innovative or ‘near to market’ technologies which can be used to achieve these aims. You can also register here for one of the supporting workshops which are in Birmingham and London on the 7th and 14th October respectively. Access this funding information on the Green Grants Machine Website
Environmental Transformation Fund Anaerobic Digestion Demonstration Programme Open for Applications - ,
05-09-2008
Farmers facing new rules on storing manure could turn a potential burden into an opportunity by using anaerobic digestion systems to turn the organic matter into renewable energy. That was the suggestion of ministers today, as they published revised regulations that aim to cut the amount of nitrates from fertilisers escaping into British rivers. From January 2009, farmers will face new rules restricting the times of year when manure and other nitrate fertilisers can be spread on land. The Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations will extend the areas of England designated as "Nitrate Vulnerable Zones" to 70% of the country. Farmers within such zones are required to limit their use of fertilizers, and under the new rules cannot use more than 170 kg per hectare of nitrogen from livestock manures. Outside these limited periods, Defra said that if farmers store their manure within anaerobic digestion facilities, they could get an added bonus of income from the sale of renewable energy generated. Energy generated from the anaerobic digestion process can be sold at the wholesale electricity price as well as qualifying for extra subsidies under the Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) system. The anaerobic digestion process, which involves microbes feeding on the organic material to emit a biogas that can be burned to generate power, would still leave farmers with an organic residue that can be used as a fertiliser. Phil Woolas, Defra's Minister of State for climate change, energy and sustainable development, said: "There's a really important debate to be had on an expanding role for anaerobic digestion, and its potential contribution to manure management. I am already in discussion with farming groups and other interested sectors about how we address the barriers to its increased take up." Defra has already championed anaerobic digestion through last year's Waste Strategy and this year's draft Renewable Energy Strategy. The Department sees the technology as a useful source of renewable energy as well as a treatment option for agricultural and food waste. Source: http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=1661§ion=
Farmers pointed to energy benefits under tougher nitrate rules - ,
19-08-2008
Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme (BEIS)
Round 2 of DEFRA scheme announced - ,
As the UK strives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are delighted to announce the Second call for grant applications into the Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme (BEIS).
This follows on from the success of the first round which provided grants of up to £200,000 to 28 projects enabling them to aid the development of supply chains required to harvest, store, process and supply certain biomass to heat, combined heat and power, and electricity end-users.
Over £2 million has been allocated to this next round, providing grant funding to farmers, foresters and businesses, within England, continuing the encouragement and assistance in getting biomass from the fields and forests on to the market.
If you are small or medium sized producer or business involved in the following types of biomass, for energy end-use you may be eligible for a grant of up to £200,000 to assist you in getting your biomass from the fields and forests on to the market.
· Short rotation coppice
· Miscanthus
· Switch Grass, reed canary grass, prairie cord grass, rye grass
· Straw
· Woodfuel from forestry, arboricultural tree management and primary processing
· Other energy crops at Defra's discretion
If you are interested in finding out more about BEIS or would like to apply for a grant please see
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/crops/industrial/energy/infrastructure.htm
or contact the BEIS support line on 01355 593800.
The deadline for receipt of applications is:
· Noon, 5 August 2008 for applications from businesses
· Noon, 5 September 2008 for applications from producer groups
The longer application window for producer groups reflects the time needed to obtain agreement from interested parties to submit an application.
19-08-2008
Carbon Trust Joins Forces with Professional Services Firms to Support Low Carbon Entrepreneurs Partnerships will enhance service and increase private sector support to Carbon Trust incubation scheme The Carbon Trust incubator scheme, which accelerates the commercialisation of promising low-carbon businesses, has announced partnerships with business advisory firm Grant Thornton and law firm Mills & Reeve LLP, to provide corporate finance and legal advisory support to its incubator companies. The advice provided will include fundraising support, shareholder agreements, patents/IP, licensing, company re-structuring, manufacturing agreements, joint development agreements, employment contracts and NDAs; and will amount to a total of up to 17 hours of consultancy per company, valued at £200-£300/hour. The Carbon Trust incubator scheme was established in 2004 with the aim of helping scaleable, low-carbon businesses to market through the creation of investment opportunities. A key measure of success for the incubator scheme is the amount of private investment raised and the number of license deals or significant partnerships established by incubated companies. To date, the incubator scheme has been extremely successful with: Companies accepted for incubation receive up to £60,000 of incubation support over a 12-18 month period. Deal flow for the incubator scheme comes from active prospecting by the Carbon Trust’s incubator team and the four incubator partners; the Carbon Trust’s Applied R&D grant projects and Investment teams are also an important source of new incubatee companies. More information on the incubator scheme can be found at: www.carbontrust.co.uk/technology/incubator
- ,
• 69 companies supported and 30 companies in the incubator today
• Around 20 new companies per year admitted to the incubator
• Over £70m private funding raised by almost half the incubated companies
• Three license agreements secured
• Three companies have achieved an IPO
• The Carbon Trust has invested in four incubatee companies; our Low Carbon Seed Fund has invested in two
19-11-2007
Finally, the REA has called for a parallel carbon and sustainability scheme to be introduced across the EU when the European Commission brings forward its proposals for a Renewable Energy Directive in the New Year.
REA response to the Greenpeace report “Cooking the Climate” - ,
The REA welcomes the Greenpeace report “Cooking the Climate” as a timely reminder of the dangers of destroying ancient peatlands which can exacerbate climate change rather than provide much-needed solutions to global warming.
Representing the UK biofuels industry, the REA has worked closely with all stakeholders, including the environmental groups, to draw up the carbon and sustainability scheme that will accompany the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation when it comes into effect in April 2008. From that date companies subject to the Obligation will have to report on the sources of all the biofuels they sell in the UK against strict environmental principles. These include an undertaking that the production of biofuel feedstocks “will not destroy or damage large above or below ground carbon stocks”. In addition the carbon intensity of biofuels sold in the UK will have to be reported, and this will include the carbon impact of any land use change, such as the conversion of forest or peatlands for the production for biofuel feedstocks.
The REA believes that the UK Government has taken the right steps to ensure that biofuels sold in the UK do not produce the environmental disaster that some predict. However, the UK biofuels industry cannot be held to account for all the production of palm oil. Biodiesel accounts for only 3.5% of palm oil use and it would be right for all palm oil users to take the responsible line that the UK biofuels industry is pursuing. In addition, it is for Governments and the international community to ensure that local laws are respected or strengthened where necessary.
Please follow the links below to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007, the REA Response to the Department for Transport Consultation on Carbon and Sustainability reporting under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and the Greenpeace report 'Cooking the Climate'
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007
www.r-e-a.net/article_default_view.fcm?articleid=2767
REA Response to the DfT Consultation on Carbon & Sustainability reporting under the RTFO
www.r-e-a.net/article_default_view.fcm?articleid=2734
Greenpeace "Cooking the Climate" Report
www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/reports/cooking-the-climate
17-08-2007
With Gordon Brown’s accession to the office of Prime Minister, Downing Street has seen a week of frenzied change which has resulted in the DTI being done away with and the majority of its responsibilities – including energy - transferred to the new Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR). The REA received the following letter from the DTI’s energy group Director General Willy Rickett. Full details of the Cabinet reshuffle and a Written Ministerial Statement fro mthe Prime Minister can be found in the documnets below. To all our energy stakeholders: You will probably have seen the PM's announcement about his Cabinet and the formation of some new Whitehall Departments. This note is just to confirm that energy policy is now part of a new Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (DBERR) with its London HQ in 1 Victoria Street. Our Secretary of State is John Hutton. Decisions about junior Ministers will be announced tomorrow. The new Department is largely made up of the former DTI. The Better Regulation Executive join us. The Office of Science and Innovation (OSI) will transfer to the new Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills. There will be a new Business Council for Britain, chaired by a senior business figure, to advise on how government can promote the long term health of the economy. The aim of the DBERR will be to create the conditions for business success. We will have an emphasis on building an enterprising economy by creating free and fair markets and by reforming regulation. The creation of the new Department, with the arrival of the BRE and the creation of the new Business Council, gives a new focus on these themes. And they are important themes in Energy Group's work. For example, we want to create competitive energy markets and effective carbon markets. And we want to reform the planning system for energy developments. Securing reliable energy supplies and tackling climate change at least cost are crucial to business success. We will, of course, continue to work with DEFRA, FCO, and other departments on delivering the energy and climate change programmes. I attach a short statement about these and other Machinery of Government changes that has been laid before Parliament today. The structure of the Energy Group itself has not changed and remains as in the organogram I circulated last month. I will let you know as and when our email addresses change. Willy Rickett
The DTI is abolished and the energy sector is re-homed - ,
22-07-2007
The Renewable Energy Association has welcomed Government’s commitment to set out a clear timeframe for introducing a carbon-based Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation and safeguards over sustainability. But the industry is sounding a loud note of caution over whether the two-year timescale suggested today can deliver any meaningful environmental benefits. The Renewable Energy Association has welcomed Government’s commitment to set out a clear timeframe for introducing a carbon-based Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation and safeguards over sustainability. But the industry is sounding a loud note of caution over whether the two-year timescale suggested today can deliver any meaningful environmental benefits. Commenting on the announcement, Clare Wenner, Head of Transport Biofuels, said: “The industry has made it clear that we need the certainty of clear timeframes. Government has always indicated that it was minded to move to a carbon-based obligation, and now we have clarity on the way forward.” “However, the Government and other parties should not be tempted to believe that the announcements made today will address the hugely important concerns over the environmental performance of biofuels. Carbon incentives can only be effective when they are based on real data, obtained through practical experience of growing feedstock and producing biofuels. The expectation that we can obtain robust, reliable and verified data from the vast world-wide range of biofuels supply chains within 2 years is frankly unrealistic. “The proposals announced mean that much of the reporting mechanism will be highly dependent upon default numbers, derived from academic work and not real-world experience. The reputation of the industry depends upon information that biofuel suppliers, the Government and the public can believe in, not a series of desktop studies. With the best will in the world this cannot happen overnight.
Revision to Biofuels Obligation Risks an Environment Own-Goal - ,
01-08-2006
The Renewable Energy Association and La Tene Maps are producing a UK Bioenergy Map. The map will include: Further information is available from www.r-p-a.org.uk
UK Bioenergy Map - ,
Site by PerfectArc 2006