Yesterday evening in Parliament I spoke during Rhoda Grant’s member’s debate on Sustainable Biomass (the motion that was debated can be found below). It was an important debate as how Scotland meets its present and future energy needs is one of the key issues facing this Parliament and future generations.
In recent years we have had to pay more and more for domestic energy and everyone is finding they are spending a greater share of their income on energy bills; this is pushing an increasing number of the population into fuel poverty. Alongside this we are facing significant climate challenges and in Scotland we have a clear commitment to achieving a low carbon economy.
To try and meet these challenges alternative sources of energy needs to be exploited, but it is clear that we need greater engagement and confidence in the debate. It is difficult to think of any energy source that does not present a series of challenges or have a host of supporters as well as a group of detractors. It is important that the different needs are balanced in delivering a more sustainable low-carbon cleaner energy future. I’ve had meetings with campaigners who are raising concerns over the scale and location of large biomass proposals and those concerns should be heard.
Last night’s debate focussed on wood biomass. Wood is a limited resource and there are various demands on the sector in Scotland. As a limited resource any large scale biomass in Scotland will need to rely on imported wood as there is not a large enough market in Scotland to support the sector. The Department of Energy and Climate Change suggests that 10 per cent of wood for biomass will be sourced domestically and 90 per cent will need to be imported. This introduces a whole host of concerns, not least of which is the lack of confidence in the sustainability of the imported wood.
Friends of the Earth and Biofuel watch have highlighted contradictions between Scotland’s support for climate justice and the expected growth in reliance on imported wood for biomass. Expansion could cause huge destruction to vulnerable communities and their food and water security, with a real lack of confidence in international accreditation schemes. The Scottish Government must be aware of these concerns when considering any applications.
Whilst the Government aim to ensure sustainable biomass is recognised as a limited resource and used primarily for heat and high efficiency combined heat and power is to be welcomed there is a loophole that they must address. The European Union directive recommends that 70% efficiency must be achieved in CHP whilst the Scottish Government (and UK Government) proposes that it is just 35%. We need to increase the level of efficiency that has to be reached to receiving subsidy and we should aim to meet the EU directive.
We need to have confidence that applications can deliver what they say that they will deliver. Under current proposals 10% heat efficiency needs to be achieved but this can be used within the plant and not exported to still qualify as good quality CHP. I urge the Government to look again at the proposed efficiency level and to ensure that the power of public subsidy is used to its greatest advantage.
Motion S4M-04966 Rhoda Grant – That the Parliament welcomes the Scottish Government’s stated intention that sustainable biomass should be recognised as a limited resource and that it should be used at an appropriate scale and primarily for heat and high-efficiency combined heat and power; notes that the EU renewable energy directive calls for a minimum efficiency rating of 70% for industrial applications; also notes concerns in the wood processing industry throughout Scotland and particularly in the Highlands and Islands regarding wood supply and understands that wood products provide a carbon store; looks forward to the outcome of and would welcome a widespread response to the Scottish Government’s supplementary consultation on the Renewables Obligations Banding Review, for which the deadline for views on the proposals on biomass sustainability criteria is 11 January 2013.