Farmers, foresters
and local authorities can from today apply for £1.5 million grants
to help develop the supply of biomass, such as wood chips or
energy crops like miscanthus, in England through round three of
the Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme.
Energy and Climate Change Minister, Lord Hunt said:
“As we approach Copenhagen we need to encourage business to
invest in renewable energy. We have a target to get 15% of all
energy from renewable sources by 2020, and biomass can make a
significant contribution.
“We funded 75 projects in round two of this scheme and we will
continue to work to ensure that the supply chain is in place to
create a thriving bio-energy market in England, which is good for
the environment and good for business.”
As with previous rounds, the objectives of the scheme are to
increase renewable energy generation and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, while contributing to sustainable land management.
The Scheme provides grants to help the development of the supply
chain required to harvest, process, store and supply biomass to
heat, combined heat and power, and electricity end-users. The
scheme is restricted to projects based in England and is open to
businesses, local authorities and charities.
Grants will
only be available for projects which complete by 31 March 2011.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 26th February 2010,
although applicant projects will be assessed on a rolling basis as
they are received. The Department may also consider extending this
deadline, depending on the rate of response. The scheme is
administered on DECC’s behalf by TUV NEL Ltd.
For application forms, guidance and all information regarding the
Scheme, please contact the Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme
Helpline at TUV-NEL:
• Tel: 01355 593800
• E-mail: help@beis.org.uk
Notes for Editors:
1. The Infrastructure scheme is open to the following groups:
• Businesses who are small or medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs).
• And it applies to the following crops:
- Short rotation coppice (willow, poplar, alder, ash, hazel,
lime, silver birch, sweet chestnut and sycamore), miscanthus,
switch grass, reed canary grass, prairie cord grass, rye grass,
straw, woodfuel from forestry, arboricultural tree management and
primary processing and other energy crops at DECC’s
discretion.
• And it does not apply to the following:
- Wood arising from secondary processing and any wood that has
been chemically treated or painted, oilseed rape to be used to
produce heat and electricity, biomass for processing into
transport fuels or animal waste products (e.g. poultry litter,
sewage etc)
2. Biomass will have an important role to play in meeting UK and
EU targets for renewable energy.
3. Biomass energy can reduce carbon emissions because the carbon
dioxide emitted as the biomass is burnt has already been offset by
the carbon dioxide the crop absorbed as it grew; although these
carbon savings will be affected by the energy used in the
crop's cultivation, harvesting, processing and
transportation. Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide that has been
locked away for millions of years.
4. The Department is presently preparing for Round 6 of the
separate Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme (BECGS); a launch
announcement will be made in December.
5. The Department of Energy and Climate Change is central to the
UK Government’s leadership on climate change. We are pushing hard
for an ambitious global deal in Copenhagen in December to avert
the most dangerous impacts. Through our UK Low Carbon Transition
Plan we are giving householders and businesses the incentives and
advice they need to cut their emissions, we are enabling the
energy sector’s shift to the trinity of renewables, new nuclear
and clean coal, and we are stepping up the fight against fuel poverty.
Department of Energy and Climate Change
3 Whitehall Place,
London, SW1A 2AW
Press enquiries +44 (0)300 068 5223 Public
enquiries +44 (0)300 060 4000
Textphone +44 (0)20 7215 6740
(for those with hearing impairment)
Contacts:
Department of Energy and Climate Change
nds.decc@coi.gsi.gov.uk