Energy crops The effectiveness of UK Policy Kevin Lindegaard - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Energy crops The effectiveness of UK Policy Kevin Lindegaard ENERGY CROPS HOW EU COOPERATION CAN HELP 19 March 2014 Miscanthus and short rotation coppice (SRC) could occupy areas of between 0.62 and 2.8 million hectares by 2050!! Ref:
ENERGY CROPS HOW EU COOPERATION CAN HELP 19 March 2014
Ref: Anon (2012) UK Bioenergy Strategy. Department of Energy & Climate Change, April 2012
Ambient projects fails to get planning Arbre project fails Winkleigh project fails to get planning ECS 1 ends (18 month period with no support) Bical goes bust Bioenergy infrastructure scheme scrapped £10 million of ECS funding removed to set up Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant Slough Heat & Power closes ECS 2 ends Renewables Obligation introduced Renewable Heat Incentive launched ROC banding introduced (double ROCs)/Drax sets up Green Shoots scheme Terravesta set up / Iggesund offering SRC contracts 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Miscanthus breeding at IBERs begins
Too ambitious Technically challenging projects Ill thought through schemes Too much money on the wrong things Hiatus period Very prescriptive and overly complicated schemes Inflexible (unless you know the right people!) No money available to plug the gaps Undersubscribed schemes No follow up schemes
Reduced confidence Increased scepticism Increased ambivalence Stagnation
500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Miscanthus SRC
ECS 1 2000-2006 £29 million budget (£7.7 million spent) Flat rate grant 8,191 hectares planted ECS 2 2007-2013 Managed by Natural England £47 million budget (£5 million spent) 40-50% of eligible costs 3,937 hectares planted
Simple, easily administered scheme Bureaucratic, time consuming scheme
by 2006
between 2011-2016
with ECs
Changing priorities Incentivise biomass supply chains and improve security of supply Achieve 2020 RE targets as simply and cheaply as possible. Biomass imports OK
Introduced 2011 2% of EC growers believe that the RHI is having a major effect
85% believe that changes to the RHI to promote local
2013 RHI emissions certificates required
2014 Sustainability criteria introduced
Policy by lobby
No Energy Crops Scheme 3 SRC in Ecological Focus Areas ? Absent from New Environmental Land
“Energy woodland crops such as SRC could be a particularly attractive option for mitigating nitrate leaching in NVZs by maximising nitrogen uptake and providing a high yielding crop for farmers.”
“….the rapid growth and multi-stemmed nature of these crops makes them ideally suited to flood risk management.”
“……energy crops can offer additional advantages for water protection, flood risk management and climate change mitigation by enhancing pollutant uptake and sediment retention, more rapid establishment of vegetation roughness (especially for SRC) and increased carbon sequestration, as well as a more attractive and faster economic return for landowners.” BUT…. “……there is no incentive to plant (energy) crops where they could benefit water most.”
Woodlands and flood risk workshop
“Focus woodland planting on floodplains where hydraulic roughness is key”
Ref: Typical Manning’s n values for Floodplains. After Chow (1959)
Multifunctional environmental crop delivering solutions to
Ref: Focal Research Green Agenda Analysis 2012.
http://analysis.focalresearch.co.uk/2012/green-agenda/analysis.php?s=which-local-authority-areas-have-the-most-households-off-gas-grid
Regional Energy Crops Scheme Supported by Local Enterprise Partnership
2,500 hectares planted over 6 years Flat rate grant plus interim payments Includes infrastructure grants, training etc. Budget of £7.2 million Local economy £107 million better off over 27 years 51.6% return on investment
EU Framework 7 research project 20 partners from 6 countries Each cluster includes:
Duration: 36 Months
Analysis of regional clusters state of play Analysis
European initiatives Working with policy makers to create policy briefs Identification of relevant RTD issues in participating regions Ireland, UK, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Belgium Industry Public bodies Research Institutions
Sensible sustainability rules for woodfuel suppliers DECC Funding for infrastructure
EFAs for livestock farms (not just arable)
Interest free loans for establishing crops
Better contracts
Cost/benefit analysis of multifunctional applications DEFRA/ EA Demonstration projects
20
Ref: Alexander P, et al. (2013) Modelling the perennial energy crop market: the role of spatial diffusion. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 10.