Energy created from burning organic matter could increase emissions and decimate forests - and questions remain over sustainability and security of supply
They are part of the No Southampton Biomass campaign which, from its inception just a few months ago, has grown into a well-organised, well-informed protest group of almost 900 followers, with a professional-looking website and a Facebook group.
The campaigners are concerned about the potential effect on air quality in a city that is already failing to meet EU pollution targets. There are also worries about the visual impact of such a huge building that would include a 100-metre chimney built just 125m from the nearest houses.
Southampton is not an isolated campaign. As companies seek to take advantage of the government's generous renewables obligation certificate subsidies, plans to build new biomass plants – or convert existing fossil fuel-fired plants – are surfacing all over the country. Plans were approved in March to convert RWE npower's Tilbury B coal-fired power station to burn wood (PDF).
Such projects are generating a great deal of opposition; there are active protests against Forth Energy's plans in Leith, Dundee and Grangemouth, against Prenergy's plans for a 350MW plant in in Port Talbot, Peel Energy's plans in Trafford, and Bishop's Castle in Shropshire, to name but a few. While protesters are worried about the effects of these developments on their local communities their concerns cannot just be put down to "nimbyism". They say the whole concept of power generated from biomass on this scale is flawed.
Campaign group Biofuelwatch says one of the main problems of power generated from biomass (biological material from living, or recently living organisms such as wood) is that it is not carbon-neutral. Some research suggests that burning wood immediately releases more greenhouse gases than fossil fuel-related emissions, and takes many decades – even centuries in some scenarios – for the carbon emissions to be "offset" by new biomass growth. This, critics points out, is far too long if the UK is to meet its target of reducing emissions by 80% of 1990 levels by 2050.
Campaigners also say the scale of demand for fuel, mostly in the form of wood pellets, is unsustainable on at least two fronts. First, the claim that switching to biomass can ensure security of energy supply for the UK looks dubious. The Tilbury plant alone will burn more than 7m tonnes of wood pellets per year – compared with 9m tonnes burned in the entire European Union in 2010.
According to Almuth Ernsting, one of Biofuelwatch's co-directors, the UK will need 50m-70m tonnes of biomass a year to keep these new power stations running. The UK only produces between 8m and 10m tonnes, so the rest will have to be imported, which is why many of the new plants are being planned in ports.
But it is not just the UK that is planning to increase biomass-generated power; large numbers of plants are planned in Europe and North America, meaning increasing competition for fuel.
The government, however, insists the UK is not just reliant on wood for biomass. A Department for Energy and Climate Change (Decc) spokesman says the UK "produces substantial amounts of waste that cannot be recycled or reused but which is suitable for energy production. Similarly, there are many agricultural residues which have no other use, such as husks, kernels and so on from food production".
However, an official report for Decc (pdf) admits that there is considerable uncertainty about supply. The study concluded the potential biomass supply in the UK between 2010 and 2030 will depend on many market conditions, including price and competition.
The second issue resulting from such a surge in demand is the devastating effect it could have on the world's forests. There are already reports of concessions being granted for the destruction of rainforests to establish tree plantations for wood chips and wood pellets, as a result of the growing global market in biomass.
Ernsting highlights one study which predicts that as a result of increased demand there could be no natural forests left by 2065.
She also points out that as well as destroying the planet's ability to control emissions, such deforestation would have a huge impact on biodiversity and forest-dependent people.
The power companies, however, say they will source wood from "sustainable forests". Helius Energy, the company planning the Southampton plant, promises that it will not use feedstock or fuel sourced from protected areas, areas where biodiversity is shown to be vulnerable or at risk, primary forest, areas or plantations which threaten protected or endangered species or areas where high quality agricultural land has been displaced.
And last month the government introduced sustainability criteria for the use of solid biomass to generate electricit. That stipulates a minimum greenhouse gas emissions saving of 60% compared with fossil fuel assessed across a lifecycle that considers the emissions associated with cultivation, processing and transport of the biomass, together with general restrictions on the use of materials from land important on carbon or biodiversity grounds.
But critics are sceptical. Can sustainability and security of supply really be guaranteed?
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Scotland toasts new whisky-powered bioenergy plant
Up to 9,000 homes to be powered with energy produced by burning waste matter from the whisky-making process
Kirsty Scott guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 May 2011 16.24 BST
Contracts have recently been awarded for the construction of a biomass combined heat and power plant at Rothes in Speyside that by 2013 will use the by-products of the whisky-making process for energy production.
Vast amounts of "draff", the spent grains used in the distilling process, and pot ale, a residue from the copper stills, are produced by the whisky industry each year and are usually transported off-site. The Rothes project, a joint venture between Helius Energy and the Combination of Rothes Distillers (CoRD) will burn the draff with woodchips to generate enough electricity to supply 9,000 homes. It will be supplied by Aalborg Energie Technick, a danish engineering company. The pot ale will be made into a concentrated organic fertiliser and an animal feed for use by local farmers.
Environmentalists have expressed concern that some of the wood used in the process may not be locally sourced, but say the 7.2MW project – the equivalent output of two large wind turbines - is a good scale and a valuable addition to Scotland's renewables industry. Green energy has been a key issue in the run-up to Thursday's Holyrood elections. The SNP leader, Alex Salmond, has pledged to produce 100% of Scotland's electricity through renewable energy by 2020, a claim dismissed as "fantasy" by Labour.
The £50m Rothes project is the latest bioenergy venture from the Scotch whisky industry, but it is believed to be the first to provide electricity for public use. A bioenergy plant at Scotland's largest distillery in Fife is close to completion. The project by Diageo will provide 98% of the thermal steam and 80% of the electrical power used at the Cameronbridge distillery. And last year, scientists at Napier University announced they had developed a method of producing biofuel from the by-products of the whisky distilling process which could power cars and even aircraft. The new fuel, they said, could be available at petrol pumps within a few years.
Of Scotland's 100 whisky distilleries, 50 are based in Speyside, and Frank Burns, general manager of CoRD, said it was an ideal location for the new bioenergy plant which will be built on an existing industrial site.
"It is very well supported in the local community. Up here in Rothes and in Speyside in general we have a lot of strong links," he said. "We had zero objections at the planning stage and we have done a lot of work within the community on the progress of the project."
Waste products from around 16 of the area's 50 distilleries will be used at the site, including well-known brands such as Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, Macallan, and Famous Grouse. None will come from further than 25 miles away.
Burns acknowledged, however, that some of the wood for the process may not be locally sourced. "Some of it will be local and some of it will be shipped in," he said. "It is down to the supplier. They may source it locally." Most of the fuel, he added, will be comprised of the draff.
Sam Gardner, climate policy officer for WWF Scotland, said:
"From the information we have, the project looks to be a very welcome addition to Scotland's renewable industry. It is using waste products from our whisky industry which is eminently sensible thing to do, and is producing heat both for whisky production and for the local community. We would want to see assurances, however, that the biomass was sustainably sourced."
Kirsty Scott guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 May 2011 16.24 BST
Contracts have recently been awarded for the construction of a biomass combined heat and power plant at Rothes in Speyside that by 2013 will use the by-products of the whisky-making process for energy production.
Vast amounts of "draff", the spent grains used in the distilling process, and pot ale, a residue from the copper stills, are produced by the whisky industry each year and are usually transported off-site. The Rothes project, a joint venture between Helius Energy and the Combination of Rothes Distillers (CoRD) will burn the draff with woodchips to generate enough electricity to supply 9,000 homes. It will be supplied by Aalborg Energie Technick, a danish engineering company. The pot ale will be made into a concentrated organic fertiliser and an animal feed for use by local farmers.
Environmentalists have expressed concern that some of the wood used in the process may not be locally sourced, but say the 7.2MW project – the equivalent output of two large wind turbines - is a good scale and a valuable addition to Scotland's renewables industry. Green energy has been a key issue in the run-up to Thursday's Holyrood elections. The SNP leader, Alex Salmond, has pledged to produce 100% of Scotland's electricity through renewable energy by 2020, a claim dismissed as "fantasy" by Labour.
The £50m Rothes project is the latest bioenergy venture from the Scotch whisky industry, but it is believed to be the first to provide electricity for public use. A bioenergy plant at Scotland's largest distillery in Fife is close to completion. The project by Diageo will provide 98% of the thermal steam and 80% of the electrical power used at the Cameronbridge distillery. And last year, scientists at Napier University announced they had developed a method of producing biofuel from the by-products of the whisky distilling process which could power cars and even aircraft. The new fuel, they said, could be available at petrol pumps within a few years.
Of Scotland's 100 whisky distilleries, 50 are based in Speyside, and Frank Burns, general manager of CoRD, said it was an ideal location for the new bioenergy plant which will be built on an existing industrial site.
"It is very well supported in the local community. Up here in Rothes and in Speyside in general we have a lot of strong links," he said. "We had zero objections at the planning stage and we have done a lot of work within the community on the progress of the project."
Waste products from around 16 of the area's 50 distilleries will be used at the site, including well-known brands such as Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, Macallan, and Famous Grouse. None will come from further than 25 miles away.
Burns acknowledged, however, that some of the wood for the process may not be locally sourced. "Some of it will be local and some of it will be shipped in," he said. "It is down to the supplier. They may source it locally." Most of the fuel, he added, will be comprised of the draff.
Sam Gardner, climate policy officer for WWF Scotland, said:
"From the information we have, the project looks to be a very welcome addition to Scotland's renewable industry. It is using waste products from our whisky industry which is eminently sensible thing to do, and is producing heat both for whisky production and for the local community. We would want to see assurances, however, that the biomass was sustainably sourced."