Background to the Biomass Sector
Background to the Biomass Sector
The biomass sector is playing a key role in delivering the country’s renewable energy targets. Over the last decade it has developed into a professional and skilled sector.
The sector, in its current form, can be traced back to the late 1990’s when the first automated biomass boilers were imported in reasonable numbers from continental Europe.
By 2008, just before the advent of the Renewable Heat Incentive, the sector accounted for 59% of the UK’s renewable heat; providing 5.42TWhs of energy and 2,710MW of installed capacity, dominated by large industrial and commercial users in the timber-processing industries.
In late 2011 the Renewable Heat Incentive was introduced leading to sharp growth in smaller biomass installations. By June 2016 the installed capacity of RHI-accredited biomass installations amounted to 2,400MW covering 13,698 installations.
