DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref
:109/08) issued by The Government News Network on 9 April 2008
A £4 million fund
to support the installation of biomass-fuelled heating and
combined heat & power projects, including anaerobic digesters,
was opened to applications today by Climate Change Minister, Phil Woolas.
Applications are welcome from industrial, commercial and
community sectors. This encompasses public and private limited
companies, from smaller businesses like pubs, clubs, shops or
farms, to offices, golf courses, recycling centres, supermarkets
and stately homes, right up to larger businesses like breweries,
food processing companies and airports. Applicants from the
community sector can include schools, colleges, universities,
hospitals, local authorities, housing associations and charities.
Phil Woolas, said:
"We have to take serious steps to tackle climate change by
reducing our carbon footprint. As almost half of our CO2 emissions
are the result of heating buildings or water or for industrial
processes, switching our dependence on fossil fuels to more energy
efficient equipment makes sense.
"Funding to support the installation of biomass-fuelled heat
boilers and combined heat and power plants can really make a
difference and I invite all those who are eligible to apply."
Full details, including the guidance notes and application forms,
are available at: http://www.bioenergycapitalgrants.org.uk/.
Notes for Editors
1. Grants will be available for up to 40 per cent of the
difference in cost of installing the biomass boiler or combined
heat and power plant compared with the installation of a fossil
fuel alternative. The maximum grant for each project will be
£100,000. There is a six week application window and no minimum
grant threshold.
2. The Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme is part of the UK
Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF); a joint BERR/Defra fund
to bring forward the demonstration and deployment of low carbon
energy and energy efficiency technologies. The ETF budget
announcement on 21 February 2007 (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/energy/fund/)
confirmed funding of £10m in 2008-09 for the Bio-energy Capital
Grants Scheme and the Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme. Further
information about the ETF is available here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/energy/fund/
3. Approximately £4m is available to fund new projects under
round 4 of the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme. The remaining
funds are supporting ongoing biomass heat projects approved in
2007 under Round 3 of the Scheme, and will also support projects
under a new round of the Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme. Details
of the latter scheme will be announced in the next few weeks.
4. The Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme will contribute to the
objectives of the ETF by supporting innovation and UK capacity
building in low-carbon technologies for biomass heat and combined
heat and power. It also supports the UK Biomass Strategy,
published in May 2007, http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/energy/renewablefuel/index.htm
which aims to achieve a major expansion in the supply and use of
biomass in the UK to maximise its potential as an efficient source
of renewable energy.
5. Round 1 of the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme was launched
in 2002 with funding from the Department for Business, Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Big Lottery Fund. Round 2 in
early 2006 was funded by the Big Lottery Fund and Defra's
round 3 was launched at the end of that year. All previous rounds
are closed to new applications.
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