Renewable Energy Strategy – What’s in it for waste?
SOURCE: CIWM, AUGUST 2008
The consultation on the draft Renewable Energy Strategy sets out proposals for increasing the UK’s share of “renewable” electricity, transport fuels and heat to meet its share of the EU “20 by 20” target of 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.
There are significant opportunities for the waste industry to contribute to the UK target, and not just pursuant to the new WFD provisions classing energy efficient CHP incinerators as recovery operations.
The Strategy focuses particularly on the potential of biowaste – including biomass and biogas – as a feedstock. The new bandings within the Renewables Obligation (giving different values of ROCs for different technologies) will be an incentive here, since anaerobic digestion plants will earn double the ROCs they do at present. The Strategy also suggests introducing a Renewable Heat Obligation to encourage greater heat recovery – another area where biowaste incineration can contribute significantly.
Biowaste also has a role in biofuels, as the Strategy suggests bolstering the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation to require a higher proportion in transport fuels. The Strategy also considers sustainability, promising to facilitate development of second generation biofuels from waste and non-food sources.
With the biomass sector yet to mature, there are clearly opportunities for waste operators to diversify into energy and heat generation and distribution, and with an increasing number of financial incentives on the horizon to encourage multiple forms of “energy from waste”, the sector looks set for considerable expansion.
AUTHOR: Vincent Brown
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