Pretty much everything should work. But you may find some components look slightly off as a result. You can find out what Javascript is here.
If you don't have JavaScript turned off, or if something doesn't work that you think should do, please email info@eti.co.uk.
There is strong public support for producing bioenergy in the UK from both biomass and waste, with 80% in favour of bioenergy playing a bigger part in the UK’s energy mix, according to a new survey carried out for the Energy Technologies Institute.
The YouGov survey commissioned by the ETI questioned over 5,300 GB adults to gauge public perceptions of bioenergy in the UK.
It found that 74% of people surveyed support producing bioenergy from biomass and 81% support producing biomass from waste.
Generating energy from waste and being a renewable source of energy were seen as the most positive features of bioenergy and the public would be comfortable with a mix of imported and domestic biomass feedstocks, provided imports are used in addition to, not instead of, domestic resources.
Over a third of respondents were concerned about biomass competing with other land uses such as food production, but ETI case studies have shown that they can complement each other.
The Government (31%) is seen as the most popular choice to lead the development of the UK bioenergy sector.
Hannah Evans
Practice Manager, Bioenergy – Energy Systems Catapult
Delivering bioenergy on a large scale will be dependent on levels of public support, not just in terms of ensuring new bioenergy generation facilities can obtain planning permission, but also in determining the number of farmers and foresters prepared to plant new bioenergy crops, and whether individuals are willing to install biomass boilers in their homes or workplaces.
It is encouraging that levels of support for bioenergy compare favourably with other renewable energy technologies and the public associate bioenergy with a wide range of positive features, particularly the fact that it can be generated from waste materials and is also seen as a renewable source of energy that can reduce the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels.
There were concerns that biomass feedstocks could compete with other land uses, such as food production, which is why it is important to demonstrate that biomass feedstocks can be planted successfully on otherwise low-yielding land, and when sited considerately, can complement, rather than compete with, food production.
Building a UK bioenergy sector with continued public support will need greater support for domestic production and increased awareness of the benefits it can bring.
The UK Government is the most popular choice to lead the development of the bioenergy sector. The public also value the role of scientists, academics, environmental groups and consumer/industry watchdogs, as independent, trustworthy sources of information. This presents an opportunity for the Government to work with a variety of organisations to increase awareness and understanding of bioenergy, in parallel to developing the bioenergy sector in the UK.
Bioenergy can play a significant and valuable role in the future UK energy system, helping reduce the cost of meeting the UK’s 2050 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by more than 1% of gross domestic product (GDP).
The ETI recently published a report “The Evidence for Deploying Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) in the UK” whichhighlighted the importance of combining bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) if the UK is to meet its 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets cost-effectively.
The ETI’s internationally peer-reviewed Energy System Modelling Environment (ESME) suggests that bioenergy, in combination with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), could meet around 10% of projected UK energy demand, whilst delivering net negative emissions of approximately -55Mt CO2 per year in the 2050s. This is roughly equivalent to half the UK’s emissions target in 2050 and reduces the need for more expensive decarbonisation measures in other sectors such as aviation and shipping.
In the absence of CCS, bioenergy is still a cost-effective means of decarbonisation and should play an important role in meeting the 2050 emissions target.
The ETI has delivered a number of projects to building an evidence base to assess the sustainability of land use change to biomass production in the UK, develop modelling tools to identify optimal bioenergy value chains for the UK and develop low carbon energy technologies that deliver carbon savings, and which could be maximised if combined with CCS.
