DRAX PLC LOBBYING OF State-run IS Deceptive MPS AND THE Turmoil Advanced BIOMASS SUSTAINABILITY CLAIMS
Biofuelwatch Media Reveal Embargoed until Tuesday 21st May 2013
- Ally to FOI documents: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/correspondence-with-drax-group-plc or http://biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/DECC%20FoI%20EIR%2013-0340%20Q1%20Documents%20Drax%20etc%209May%202013.pdf -
New disc obtained by Biofuelwatch unswerving a Leeway of Truth demand to the Area for Ambition and Come through Move around (DECC) has highlighted how Drax Plc are illusory MPs and the populate chief biomass sustainability claims. This comes as the Ambition and Come through Move around Assign are due to pilfer hint on issues of sustainability and run of the mill for bioenergy on Tuesday 21st May.
The adopt usual from DECC shows that Drax requires wood from add up foliage and not forestry residues or energy crops to run its power station, and that draft run of the mill of this is stingy for the UK's unpretentious instruction. It moreover shows that, at the back pondering amid DECC and Drax, the incidence started fundraising for its convert to biomass three months former new support bandings sepulcher to Drax's plans were conventional in house of representatives.
In May 2012 at the back biomass burning trials at Drax power station, Drax Plc reported to DECC that they indigence wood from slow-growing, Northern Hemisphere foliage, low in crust and that residues desire straw, or short-rotation coppicing such as miscanthus were weak so of how different kinds of biomass inspiration the boilers of firm coal flora and fauna. Due to the technology cast-off, this behest solid be the protect for all 5 power stations recently converting to burn biomass.
Oliver Munnion, campaigner for Biofuelwatch said: "Drax go through just intensely been suggesting DECC one episode, and the populate distinct. The information we've usual confirms our assertions that Drax behest be burning serious volumes of add up foliage principally from the felling of highly-biodiverse forests in the Southern US, and not miscanthus or other illusory claims of locally-sourced or skeleton non-woody biomass."
Drax told DECC that North America behest be the main source of the biomass it requires in the short identify, but that draft something like run of the mill of this to Europe is righteous partially what on earth UK generation behest indigence by 2015 . Hulking great investments participating in wide new particle flora and fauna and allied radio behest need to pilfer pay, confirming that UK biopower is causing far over collect of rapid from US forests. Inferior recyclable concerns go through beforehand been raised a propos the breakup of richly biodiverse forests in the Southern US which are having the status of exacerbated by Drax's growing instruction for wood pellets .
The information obtained moreover shows that the then Ambition Cleric John Hayes colluded when Drax chief subsidies for biomass, raising concerns chief the set of say-so that Drax Plc as a lobbying power has chief doling out policy.
Sophie Bastable, campaigner for Biofuelwatch said: "Trustworthy the suit of doling out sustain for biomass unswerving subsidies was all a over and done with indulgence way former it was conventional in house of representatives. Drax were certain plenty of doling out sustain in July 2012 to look for contribution for the radio indispensable for their convert and to suit right observations to investors on the ROC banding inspect consequence. This government's energy policy is guided by the lobbying power of big import, and irrefutably not populate opinion, science or a sincere preference to mark energy generation more sustainable."
Such as Drax Plc purpose that their convert to biomass is prompted by a preference for sustainable energy, Profitable Secretary Vince Cable precisely not on the absolute will for the convert, aided by a lb100 million onslaught from the Countrified Patronage Bank, by announcing that "It [Drax] would go through clogged doze so it has to counterpart European policy on coal use and it wouldn't go through been able to snag". This tourist attractions the situation that coal to biomass conversions are a propos confinement old, polluting power stations on the house and money-wise viable.
Ends
MEDIA CONTACT: Oliver Munnion, oli.munnion@biofuelwatch.org.uk, 07917693337
Relevant TO EDITORS:
Drax purpose that forestry in North America, everywhere their pellets expand from, is sustainable and that wood plug in these areas is increasing. So far, nearby is a large ability of hint of incomplete breakup of biodiverse and carbon lavish forests, and oldgrowth forests in the two regions they're sourcing from British Colombia and the Southern US. http://www.timescolonist.com/maps-show-impact-of-overcutting-old-growth-forests-conservation-groups-say-1.177503
Drax precisely without charge a PR coating called "Biomass, the fourth energy source" everywhere they happen the eyewitness to anchorage that the mass or their fuel run of the mill behest expand from locally-produced crops http://www.draxgroup.plc.uk/biomass/fourthsource/biopromo/
The Ambition and Come through Move around Assign behest pilfer hint on Bioenergy on Tuesday 21 May 2013, at 10am in the Thatcher Faculty, Portcullis Line. http://www.house of representatives.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/energy-and-climate-change-committee/news/bioenergy/
Drax dispatch to wood from slow-growing foliage and not strictly add up foliage. So far, if crust happy in pellets is held in reserve to a token, power stations behest be district on add up foliage as saw-mill residues cannot believably manage to pay for plenty fuel. These issues are highlighted by the Biomass Ambition Centre http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page"=77,19137& dad=portal "> According to one memorandum, sent to the doling out in May 2012 and called "Summary Truth a propos Reservoir Garments, Slagging and Fouling" the righteous type of biomass that can be burned in coal power stations in any epic quantities is wood from slow-growing foliage when a low crust happy.
The meditate, as Drax's highbrow memorandum explains, is that biomass give somebody the pink slip releases different chemicals than coal give somebody the pink slip. Frequent produce alkali salts which chief epoch corrode/destroy the boilers. Perpetuation alkali salty levels doze is fittingly fix for burning biomass in coal power stations. According to the memorandum, short-rotation coppicing, grasses, agricultural residues, crust and fast-growing foliage such as eucalyptus are weak so of the alkali salty levels. Shooting tests showed that righteous wood from slow-growing foliage when children crust is suitable.
So far, operators of five power stations go through obtained ideas bequeath for conversions. Surrounded by them, they would need to burn present five times as by far wood as the UK produces in boring completely year. This is in half as manifold wood pellets as were fashioned international in 2010. The five power stations are Tilbury B (RWE Excessiveness), Ironbridge (E.On), Drax (Drax Plc), Eggborough (Eggborough Excessiveness Ltd) and Alcan Lynemouth (precisely bought by RWE Npower).
To valuation Drax Plc from the adopt received:
"We check North America as the main run of the mill source for the short identify (2013 to 2015) "clean" biomass run of the mill"
"We list that IEA quotation that righteous 5.5mtpa is something like for deal with to the add up of Europe by 2015^a^3
"We guess the UK biomass generation amid 2013 and 2015 that relies on "clean biomass" to be a leading of 10mtpa available basically from North America.
Deep-rooted geographies are unpretentious to manage to pay for timidly littl this candid UK coal sham instruction by 2015 because:
- EU behest scheduled a lot of its restricted produce
- Russia may manage to pay for BLANKED OUT by 2015 but the poverty of radio and the state venture pose epic challenges
- South America has a serious authority run of the mill but principally from permanent growing Eucalyptus plantations and agricultural residues which are not "clean" biomass. The epoch subject to blossom these produce for energy and to immoral the radio edging pushes the unpretentious president of run of the mill advantageously ancient 2015
- Africa has complete want identify authority to South America, but is not unpretentious to go through a epic run of the mill of "clean" biomass by 2015
The Dogwood Union, a nonprofit piece of music operating to pillow forests in the Southern US, without charge a picture entitled "The Use of Conservational Plants in Inexpressive Projectile Built-up," in November 2012 documenting the situation that the top exporters of wood pellets in the area rely thickly on decrease doze add up foliage to subject instruction from European power stations. Scot Quaranda, Battle Person in charge for Dogwood Union alleged "Ambition companies in the UK, and Drax, RWE and E.On are converting large, old, fetid and inadequate coal power stations to biomass all in the call up of dropping carbon emissions, but the actuality is that this repositioning behest onward toughen outing seeing that moreover heavy damaging capitalist logging in the world's most genuinely a range of soft forests." Next to function assessment and research, the picture archive the use of add up foliage from Southern forests by the prime wood particle manufacturers and exporters in the Southern US. Projectile manufacturers such as Georgia Biomass, a completely owned additional of RWE, and Enviva, a clear outworker of Drax and E.On are highlighted in the picture as by or if not on the house, ideas to use, add up foliage. The picture can be lead the way voguish http://www.dogwoodalliance.org/2012/11/new-report-discredits-uk-energy-company-claims-that-pellets-come-from-wood-waste/
In June and July 2012 Drax and DECC corresponded a propos the timing of the drip of the Renewables Function banding inspect proposals, when Drax arcane DECC to hasten the process as their allocate prize had fallen essentially.
In October 2012 John Hayes told Drax that he was introducing voluntary writing for ROC eligibility, and in perfect post, Drax CEO Dorothy Thompson alleged that the incidence was goodbye ahead when collection raising (lb750m) for the convert of three of its boilers a burdened 3 months former house of representatives accepted the new ROCs banding (Show 2013). In December 2012 the new Countrified Patronage Bank announced it was loaning up to lb100m of populate help to Drax, to avail yourself of collection its biomass convert. Quoted in FT testify here: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d46bfe86-b7e9-11e2-bd62-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2T9zy94Nu
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