Bioenergy makes record contribution

A record contribution from bioenergy for keeping the lights on and cars moving has been revealed in the government’s quarterly Energy Trends publication. In the second quarter of 2014, bioenergy accounted for a record 5.6 TWh (7%) of electricity generation. This is an increase of 8.8% compared with a year earlier, due mainly to the conversions at Drax and Ironbridge, which have started burning biomass instead of coal.

Over the same period, biofuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol accounted for 4% of vehicle fuel used in the UK.

Renewable Energy Association (REA) Chief Executive Dr Nina Skorupska said: ‘With wind speeds below average, wind generation has actually decreased, so it’s vital that we get more flexible biomass generation into our low carbon power supply as well as more wind.’

Skorupska added: ‘The fuel in our tanks has never been greener than in the last quarter, which is great news. But our consumption of sustainable biofuels is too unstable at the moment, with inconsistent policies leading to jumps one quarter and drops the next. The government must remove the artificial constraints on sustainable biofuels, so that current businesses have a UK market to sell into, and future businesses have the certainty they need to invest in the stable growth of the sustainable biofuels industry.’

Meanwhile, the REA and Solar Trade Association (STA) will end their formal affiliation on 1 January 2015. The two associations became affiliated in March 2011, when the STA merged with the REA’s Solar Power Group and relaunched with representation of both the solar heating and solar power industries. Next year the two associations will become independent again, allowing them both to focus on their core strengths.

STA Chairman Jan Sisson said: ‘Solar power has come from nowhere at the start of this Parliament to providing nearly 10% of all renewable power over the last quarter. As long as we can secure a more stable policy framework, subsidy-free solar is now on the horizon. At the same time the solar thermal sector now has the best policy framework ever under the RHI.’