The pressing need to address climate change is
driving developments across a host of policy areas, particularly
energy.
Renewable energy policy
As part of its Climate Change Delivery
Plan, the Scottish Government has set ambitious
targets for renewable energy to help reduce our carbon emissions.
Securing the target of sourcing 11% of heat demand from
renewable resources by 2020 is a priority, and biomass (including
woodfuel) is critical to delivering that goal.
Renewable heat can also help address energy security issues,
offering new and exciting opportunities for investment and growth
in Scotland, in the same way that we benefitted from cheap and
abundant coal, oil and gas in the past.
Woodfuel is a significant and uniquely responsive source of
renewable energy, particularly for heat generation which currently
accounts for 53% of energy demand in Scotland. Woodfuel already
provides around 30% of the renewable energy production in the
European Union. It is most efficient when locally sourced.
Current policy is for biomass to be used in heat-only or
combined heat and power (CHP) schemes, off-gas grid, at a scale to
make best use of both the available heat, and of local supply.
Growing demand for biomass
The biomass industry is now rapidly growing and there is an
increasing demand for timber, from local markets to major energy
generation plants.
The
Woodfuel Demand and Usage Report 2011 calculated that demand
for woodfuel in 2010 was approximately 1.2 million green tonnes,
and estimates that demand will continue to rise to around 1.6
million green tonnes in 2011. Current initiatives, such as the
Renewable Heat Incentive should further increase demand.
The Woodfuel Task Force was set up in 2007 to look at how to
further generate supply from traditional forestry, such as forest
residues, and new sources such as arboricultural residues or short
rotation forestry. For more information, see Supply of wood for renewable
energy production in Scotland 2011 Update.