REA responds to ‘disappointing’ Public Accounts Committee report

In February, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) opened an inquiry on ‘government support for biomass’, and today, they published their response.

The REA has responded to the report will be writing to the PAC to correct a number of factual inaccuracies in the report. The REA’s written submission is available to read here.

Responding to the Public Accounts Committee’s report, Samantha Smith, Head of Heat and Biomass UK said: “The findings from today’s report are deeply disappointing, particularly as the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget once again recognised the critical role Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) will play in helping us meet our climate targets, delivering the majority of engineered carbon removals between 2028 and 2050.”

“The requirements of independent certification schemes, like the Sustainable Biomass Program are benchmarked by Ofgem to fully meet the UK sustainability requirements, including against those found in the Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference schemes. SBP requirements are also recognised against biomass sustainability requirements elsewhere, including the EU’s Renewable Obligations Directive. We already expect UK sustainability requirements to be even further enhanced following the publication of the Common Sustainability Framework, as committed to in the Biomass Strategy in 2023.”

“Today’s Energy Security Summit in London highlights the importance of strengthening our energy security at a national and international level, standing ready to respond to geopolitical, economic, and technological changes that could affect it. Sustainable biomass already plays a vital role in bolstering UK energy security, delivering low carbon consistent power, keeping energy system costs down, and complementing other more variable forms of renewable energy, like wind and solar. It is disappointing that the PAC report failed to recognise this.”