Section Menu

Renewable Heat

The UK Biomass Strategy has been developed jointly by DTI and DEFRA with the aim of achieving optimal carbon savings from biomass, while complying with EU policies and the Biomass Action Plan. It is also intended that the strategy should support existing renewable energy and climate change targets, and should facilitate the development of a competitive and sustainable market and supply chain for biomass.

To advise the development of the strategy work was undertaken by DTI to investigate the relative cost effectiveness of different options for utilising biomass as a nominally carbon neutral energy source. This assessment aimed to provided an overview of biomass options and to give a clear and transparent appraisal of their cost effectiveness, drawing on existing information on current and prospective costs and technical performance parameters. The work, presented in Working Paper 1 of the UK Biomass Strategy, gives broad estimates for the level of financial support needed to make these options commercially attractive, what this support equates to as a CO2 abatement cost (£/tCO2), and the level of carbon abatement that can be achieved. Click on the link to the right to read Working Paper 1- Economic analysis of biomass energy.

In response to calls for the establishment of a renewable heat obligation during the passage of the Energy Act, the Government gave a commitment to undertake analysis about the scope and case for promoting heat from renewable sources.

In December 2004, DTI and DEFRA commissioned Future Energy Solutions from AEA Technology to look more carefully at the renewable heat and CHP heat market and likely carbon savings. Click on the link on the right hand to read the final report.