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Government Response to the Biomass Task Force

The Energy White Paper 2003 gave a high priority to the development of renewable energy. Biomass is one of the sources of renewable energy that, analysis shows, can significantly as we move towards a low carbon economy.

However a range of issues and barriers need to be overcome. This is why government issued the challenge to the Biomass Task Force – Sir Ben Gill, John Roberts and Nick Hartley – in October 2004 to suggest measures to optimise the contribution of biomass energy to renewables, sustainable farming, forestry and the rural economy. The DEFRA website has the full report.

The Task Force concluded that biomass – in all its forms – has greater potential for contributing to our renewable energy and climate change objectives and to diversity of supply in line with energy security objectives.

Six months on from the publication of the Report of the Biomass Task Force the Government launched its Response to the forty-two recommendations that the Task Force put forward.

The response was published while two major reviews were in progress: the Energy Review, looking at meeting long term energy goals, and the Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change. As some of the recommendations touched on areas currently under review a full reply to all of them could not be given.

A summary of the key points in the response is as follows:

• A new five year capital grant scheme for biomass boilers, with funding of £10 - £15 million over the first two years, and a second round of the Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme, with funding at or close to the level proposed by the Task Force (announced in the Climate Change Programme Review);

• Agreement in principle to support for energy crops under the new Rural Development Programme for England to be introduced in 2007, closely integrated with bioenergy market development;

• Announcement of the Forestry Commission’s new Biomass Energy Centre as a major new hub for bioenergy advice and best practice for industry and the public;

• Further measures to integrate environmental assessment in the planning of energy crop development;

• Government leadership through public procurement, including the commitment to carry out a mapping exercise of the potential use of biomass across the main procuring departments on the Government estate;

• Working with Regional Development Agencies and other organisations to ensure effective, coordinated mechanisms for delivery of policy and advice;

• Action, already taken since publication of the Task Force report, to improve the Renewables Obligation and implementation of the associated procedures;

• Use of the planning system to stimulate renewables development, including our support for planning authorities applying a minimum percentage of renewable energy in new developments;

• Action to address regulatory barriers identified by the Task Force and to develop standards to improve efficacy and confidence in biomass;

• The introduction of new Building Regulations, from April 2006, with new procedures and tougher standards which will encourage the use of Low or Zero Carbon (LZC) systems, such as biomass.

• Government thinking on the use of energy from waste, subject to conclusions from the current review of Waste Strategy and the Energy Review; and

• Support for the EU Biomass Action Plan and agreement on UK membership of the Global Bioenergy Partnership from its launch in May 2006.

The action plan set out in this response will be implemented and a long-term UK-wide Biomass Strategy will be developed within a year.

The publication may be obtained from BERR publications

A Welsh language version is available to download below:

Ymateb y llywodraeth i adroddiad y tasglu bio-màs (335KB)

If you have any queries regarding the publication or material please contact:

David Hollier, Emerging Energy Technologies, BERR, Bay 241, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET
e-mail: david.hollier@berr.gsi.gov.uk.