Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Deferred
Paragraph: 134
Large-scale biomass subsidies have not provided value for money or optimal public funds use.
Conclusion
The UK’s biomass industry is a diverse sector made up of large-scale power plants through to smaller-scale, more local, generators. The overall costs of large-scale bioenergy power plants, which converted from coal-fired plants, are very expensive and rely heavily on imported feedstocks, which may not be produced sustainably, and which may have significant lifecycle emissions. Existing support schemes for unabated bioenergy are due to end by 2027. We do not believe that the historic allocation of subsidies to large scale biomass, such as Drax, has represented either value for money or the best use of public funds.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response outlines its Action Plan for reforming the planning system for Nationally Significant Infrastructure and plans to publish a consultation document. This completely deflects from the committee's conclusion regarding the costs, sustainability, and value for money of the UK's biomass industry.
Paragraph Reference:
134
Government Response
The government responded to this report on 14 July 2023. No passage in that response could be matched to this conclusion. Read the response document ↗