NNFCC News Review: Bioenergy Issue 96, March 2020

Foreword

The recent Spring Budget announcement was promising for the bioenergy sector, with a significant focus on heat decarbonisation and greening the gas grid. The Domestic RHI is set to be extended and although Non-Domestic RHI isn’t, the promise to introduce a new allocation of flexible tariff guarantees from March 2021 is good news for the AD industry, with biomethane set to be supported in the future. A Green Gas Levy (GGL) will consulted upon and hopefully implemented in due course, but the new allocation of tariff guarantees should help to bridge the policy gap between the RHI and the GGL to allow developers to remain active here in the UK.
Drax power station in North Yorkshire has been operational since the 1980s and in the past decade has been working on reducing coal dependence and increasing the use of sustainable biomass as an alternative fuel source. Though as of March 2021, Drax will stop using coal for electricity generation. This is ahead of the UK’s deadline for.........

Other News this Month Includes:

Policy

Funding boost to go electric
Contracts for difference scheme for 2021
RHI in budget speech
£90 million funding

Markets

EU energy consumption indicates struggles to meet 2020 targets
UK renewables in 2019 Q3

Research & Development

REA highlights potential job boost from renewables
Future for macroalgae?

Biomass Heat and Power

Drax to finish with coal
Spanish biomass plant begins operations
100% renewable tariff with Opus Energy

Biogas

Gas powered fleet in Liverpool
AD gas for Heathrow
Potential of biomethane set out in ADBA report

Energy from Waste

Waste-derived fuel pellets
Plastics to hydrogen