Guest blog: Why bioenergy for heat must be part of Scotland’s net zero energy mix
In March, I led a response on behalf of Reheat to the Scottish Government’s public consultation on its Heat in Buildings Bill. In particular, we focused on bioenergy which the Bill had suggested being categorised alongside fossil fuels — something we strongly oppose.
The consultation asked: “Do you agree that the use of bioenergy should continue to be permitted in certain circumstances?”, in response to which we outlined the many ways that it should. This is especially the case when considering Scotland’s land and estate owners, who are often living and operating commercially in rural and remote locations. Biomass has the low carbon credentials to support the Scottish Government’s ambition to be a zero-carbon country by 2045. Carbon produced from biomass in the form of wood chip, logs and pellets is between 16 and 34 times less than fossil carbon equivalents such as coal, kerosene and LPG.
Furthermore, biomass is already a well-established heating solution in Scotland. With 8,362 biomass installations across the country, biomass provides 70% of Scotland’s current renewable heat, with the highest density found in rural areas. These installations range in size from a few kilowatts heating domestic properties through to multi–megawatt steam boilers providing low carbon hot water and steam to some of Scotland’s key industries.
In addition, the demand generated from so many installations has created a huge domestic market for sustainable wood fuel. In 2021 alone, Scotland’s biomass systems used a total of 1.4 million oven-dried tonnes of wood fuel, approximately 20% of the total output from Scotland’s Forests.
The economic case is equally as strong. Each MWh of delivered heat is supported by a robust supply chain, with people employed in procurement of the materials, processing, transport, service and maintenance and more. A report commissioned by The Fraser of Allender Institute identified the value of wood fuel specifically to the Scottish economy and job creation, that every new job created by an increase in demand for wood fuel will create an additional 2.79 jobs in other Scottish industries. Every one new job in wood fuel will therefore support a total of 3.79 jobs in Scotland.
To send a signal to markets that biomass will be removed from the supply chain would not only be detrimental to meeting Scotland’s current renewable energy targets, but would also create a significant gap in the economy and, with the removal of financial incentive, reduce new tree planting.
We are hopeful that the Scottish Government will continue to view bioenergy as one of its greatest allies in the race to achieve Net Zero. Sustainable, secure, and equitable, it is one of the best options for providing low carbon heat in Scotland’s buildings for many decades to come.
Reheat’s full response to the Heat in Buildings Bill can be accessed here.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Reheat and do not necessarily reflect the views of Scottish Land & Estates. No liability can be accepted by Scottish Land & Estates or any of its staff for any misstatement in it or omission from it.
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