Like most businesses involved in the biomass heating sector, Crops for Energy are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. It is hoped that the coalition will get behind the Renewable Heat Incentive. The proposed scheme will provide rebates to home owners and businesses who install biomass boilers on their premises.

The outcome of this would be a massive increase in the number of biomass boilers installed and as a direct result the requirement for much more woodfuel. This would stimulate production of woodfuel from unmanaged woodlands and create a long term driver for energy crop production.

Ahead of the spending review Crops for Energy have been lobbying hard for the need for an Energy Crops Routemap to help stimulate the sector. Currently, there are around 10,000 hectares of energy crops in the UK but Government targets for renewables and carbon emissions reduction point to the need for as much as 350,000 hectares by 2020 and possibly 4.2 million hectares by 2050. Despite this, there is no strategic framework in place to stimulate uptake. An Energy Crops Routemap would provide this.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed! More news on Wednesday.