Leaked recordings reveal Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng thinks importing US-made wood pellets to be burnt by power company Drax ‘doesn’t make sense’ – apparently contradicting the Government’s official line.
Biomass – burning organic matter such as the wood pellets to make energy – is classed as ‘renewable’ because the trees used are replaced.
However, this is controversial because the Drax power plant in Yorkshire is the UK’s biggest emitter of CO2 – and the replacement trees can take 100 years to grow.
The UK taxpayer subsidises the plant to the tune of about £839million a year.
Kwarteng said, apparently in contradiction to the official position on biomass: “There is no point getting.” [wood pellets]Louisiana… This isn’t sustainable.
Drax’s US pellet shipping costs are a significant financial and environmental expense, he said. [it]It doesn’t make sense to me.”
The leaked audio recordings show that Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng believes that importing US-made wood pellets for burning by Drax power company ‘doesn’t make sense.
Drax plc share price fell 5 percent at 4pm yesterday. It had fallen 10 percentage in early trading, on the London Stock Exchange.
In 2027, government subsidies will end for this plant. Drax however is looking for new funds from the public to help pay for carbon capture technology. It will capture the greenhouse gas CO2 for storage and will not contribute to global warming.
Drax says its wood pellets are ethically sourced and are “net zero”, but critics say that trees take many years to grow, and that shipping them thousands of kilometres to the UK can be harmful to the environment.
Each year, the energy required to produce and transport pellets to Drax produces around 1.5million tonnes CO2.
He also stated to MPs that the pace of biomass development was slower than other energy sources like wind power. Kwarteng said, “I can see where we draw the line” and that this is what he meant. [biomass]This is not working and it doesn’t reduce carbon emissions. We should stop this.
“All I am saying is that we are not quite at that point yet.”
Biomass – burning organic matter such as the wood pellets to make energy – is classed as ‘renewable’ because the trees used are replaced (stock image)
Almuth Ernsting is co-director at Biofuelwatch. He said, “We are happy that Kwasi Kwarteng has begun to recognize what hundreds of scientists had been saying for years: Burning trees for fuel accelerates climate change instead of slowing it.”
“It can also damage biodiversity and affect communities that are affected by pollution.”
“The government supports energy efficiency and non-emissive renewables such as wind and solar power. These are cheaper than traditional biomass electricity.
Drax spokesmen stated that Drax is “one Europe’s most low-carbon intensity power generators, and our sustainable biomass is crucial to UK energy security. We supply enough reliable renewable electricity for the lighting of four million homes.”
However, this is controversial because the Drax power plant in Yorkshire is the UK’s biggest emitter of CO2 – and the replacement trees can take 100 years to grow
The spokesperson for the Government said that: “The Energy secretary has been clear that biomass can play a critical role in improving Britain’s security of energy supply, as it has provided enough reliable and renewable electricity to power 4million homes.”
The spokesman said biomass can displace fossil fuels by generating dispatchable renewable electricity – production that can be easily switched on and off – and with carbon storage, can permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The technology cannot do them both. A spokesperson for the UK Government stated that biomass must comply with strict sustainability guidelines.
“The UK Government supports only biomass that meets our stringent sustainability criteria.”