Biomass can help deliver UK heat decarbonisation

5th June 2019

Alex Lynn

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Biomass could play a pivotal role in heat decarbonisation and help the UK meet its renewable heat targets, according to AMP Clean Energy. Around six percent of heat in the UK currently comes from renewable sources, but EU targets require it to double to 12% by 2020.

The Renewable Energy Association (REA) report ‘Bioenergy in the UK – vision to 2032 and beyond’ has found that the UK could almost triple the use of bioenergy as a source of heat – from six to sixteen percent by 2032 - with biomass a major contributor.

The report found that wood fuels could make a substantially larger contribution to meeting heating needs for buildings and industry, playing a particular role in providing low carbon heating in off gas-grid properties and those where heating via heat pumps is more challenging.

It concluded that bioenergy, which uses sustainable biomass and biofuels produced from wood, crops and food wastes, is the lowest cost route to heat decarbonisation, while also providing a pathway to the development and commercial deployment of future technologies.

Richard Burrell, CEO of AMP Clean Energy, said: “Biomass is a proven, world -renowned technology which can continue to make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of heat in the UK.

“Under the RHI, 87% of renewable heat to date has come from biomass, which has been particularly successful in decarbonising community buildings, schools, hotels and agricultural processes. We now need off-gas grid industrial processes to convert from fossil fuels to biomass and we can help with the financing, fuel and operation and maintenance.

“With the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) coming to an end in 2021, there is an opportunity to install new systems before that date as well as to look at new and innovative ways of financing the decarbonisation of heat.

“We need to find a way to deliver the much-needed transition to renewable heat generation to build on some of the positive steps that have already been taken and to avoid a cliff-edge for new renewable heat installations after 2021. At AMP Clean Energy we are considering what mechanisms could be deployed to achieve this and look forward to discussing our thoughts with Government.”

In January 2019 the REA launched an industry-led review of bioenergy’s potential and the policies needed to maximise this to 2032. AMP Clean Energy is one of the industry partners contributing to the review.