Latest Coverage

Title & link –         Your Thurrock: Thurrock Labour councillors delight in Biomass victory

Date –                   30 October 2015

Reference –           Your Thurrock

Author –               Staff

Summary   –        Local residents and councillors are celebrating their planning victory over the West Thurrock Biomass Plant application on Thursday.

Title & link –        BBC: Drax power station criticised for biomass by US environmental group

Date –                   22 October 2015

Reference –           BBC

Author –               Staff

Summary   –        An American environmental group has criticised a UK power station over its use of biomass.

Title & link –        Thurrock Gazette: Plans for biomass plant in West Thurrock given green light for approval

Date –                   22 October 2015

Reference –          Thurrock Gazette

Author –               Staff

Summary  –         Plans for a biomass plant in West Thurrock have been given the go ahead to be approved next week despite huge public calls for the proposal to be scrapped.

Title & link –        Biomass Magazine: UK Biomass Heat: Ready for Takeoff?

Date –                   17 September 2015

Reference –          Biomass Magazine

Author –               Neil Harrison

Summary   –        The United Kingdom biomass heat sector is experiencing turbulent times, due to a near-perfect storm of market factors, subsidy review and fallout from dramatic growth in the industry since the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive in November.

Title & link –        Edie: Teesside set for world's largest combined heat and power biomass plant

Date –                   11 August 2015

Reference –          Edie

Author –               Matt Field

Summary  –         Teesside is to be the site of the world's largest new power and steam biomass plant as part of a new £424m project.

Title & link –        Newsweek: Two Numbers – Humans Have Burned Up Half the World’s Biomass

Date –                   5 August 2015

Reference –          Newsweek

Author –               Douglas Main

Summary –        A study published in July in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences calculates that we've burned nearly half of Earth’s biomass in the past 2,000 years, with 10 percent of that being consumed in the past century alone.

Title & link –        Biomass Magazine: Drax discusses recent regulation changes in half-year results

Date –                   28 July 2015

Reference –          Biomass Magazine

Author –               Katie Fletcher

Summary  –        On July 28, Drax Group plc released its half-year results for the six months ended June 30. Before the half-year (H1) results were presented, Dorothy Thompson, chief executive, addressed the change to the Climate Change Levy, which will be removed for renewable electricity generated after Aug. 1.

Title & link –        Yorkshire Post: Defiant Drax in move to bring on third unit

Date –                   21 July 2015

Reference –          Yorkshire Post

Author –               Ros Snowdon

Summary  –        Drax, the UK’s biggest power station, said it still intends to bring on a third unit running predominately on biomass by the end of this month despite the surprise scrapping of a climate change tax exemption in the recent Budget.

Title & link –        This is Money: Drax urges government to delay Climate Change Levy cut as its share price dives

Date –                   19 July 2015

Reference –          This is Money

Author –               Jon Rees

Summary  –        Power generator Drax is trying desperately to persuade the Government to delay the imposition of the Climate Change Levy after a dramatic collapse in its share price. 

Title & link –        Biomass Magazine: Drax provides update of biomass operations

Date –                   08 June 2015

Reference –          Biomass Magazine

Author –               Erin Voegele

Summary  –        On June 8, Drax Group plc issued a trading update, reporting progress with its U.S. pellet plants and providing an update of the company’s biomass conversion projects. 

Title & link –        Renewable Heat Incentive: Update on biomass sustainability reporting requirements

Date –                   06 July 2015

Reference –          Department of Energy and Climate Change

Author –               DECC

Summary  –        The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) regulations, which will come into force on 5th October 2015, include requirements for the use of sustainable biomass by participants. This document clarifies some points relating to the regulations.

Title & link –        

Date –                   23 May 2015

Reference –          Energy and Carbon Blog 

Author –               Gerard Wynn

Summary  –        It is time for the biomass industry, and British and European policymakers, to take a more robust approach to carbon accounting.

Title & link –        The Carbon Brief: Does the UK's biomass burning help solve climate change?

Date –                   11 May 2015

Reference –          The Carbon Brief 

Author –               Simon Evans

Summary  –        The Carbon Brief investigates whether the UK's growing use of biomass for power generation help solve climate change or not.

Title & link –        NGO Report: Pitfalls and Potentials: the Role of Bioenergy in the EU Climate and Energy Policy Post 2020

Reference –          Oxfam International, ActionAid, Bird Life International, Climate Action Network, European Environmental Bureau, Fern, Greenpeace, Transport and Environment, Wetlands International, WWF

Author –               Various Staff

Summary –          An NGO policy paper on the climate, environmental, and social impacts of bioenergy.

Title & link –        Click Green:  International groups call for end of subsidy support for Drax power station

Date –                   21 April 2015

Reference –           Click Green

Author –              Click Green Staff

Summary –           An international coalition of NGOs representing groups in North America, South America and Europe have written an open letter to the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) calling for an end of state support for the Drax power station.

Title & link –        BBC:Southampton and Avonmouth biomass plants shelved

Date –                   23 March 2015

Reference –          BBC

Author –               BBC News Staff

Summary –          Plans for two biomass power stations have been abandoned after the company behind them hit financial problems.

Title & link –        BBC News: Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing opens biomass plant in Fife

Date –                   5 March 2015

Reference –          BBC News

Author –               BBC News Staff

Summary –          A combined heat and power biomass plant on the site of a Fife-based paper maker has been opened by the Scottish Energy Minister.

Title & link –         Business Green: Drax publishes biomass supply data in bid to address sustainability concerns

Date –                   3 March 2015

Reference –          Business Green

Author –               James Murray

Summary –          Coal giant hails its position at heart of Europe's 'biggest carbon reduction project'

Title & link –         The Times: Drax braced for fight with Brussels

Date –                   25 February 2015

Reference –          The Times

Author –               Tim Webb

Summary –           The owner of Britain’s largest power station is bracing itself for the European Commission to launch a state-aid investigation into plans to convert one of its coal units to burn biomass.

Title & link –         Environment & Energy Publishing: On burning wood pellets for electricity, it's U.S. environmentalists vs. European generators

Date –                   20 February 2015

Reference –          Environment & Energy Publishing

Author –               Elizabeth Harball

Summary –          Is the United Kingdom's biggest, most carbon-emitting coal station's switch to wood energy a good thing or a bad thing for America's forests and the climate?

Title & link –         EurActiv: Commission investigates UK state aid for biomass plant

Date –                   20 February 2015

Reference –          EurActiv

Author –               EurActiv Staff

Summary –           A European Commission investigation into whether British plans to use public money to convert a coal power plant into a wood-burning facility broke EU competition law, was opened Thursday (19 February).

Title & link –        Click Green:  Europe launches state aid probe into UK biomass plant plans

Date –                   19 February 2015

Reference –          Click Green

Author –               Click Green Staff

Summary –           The European Commission has confirmed it has launched an in-depth investigation to assess whether UK plans to support the conversion of the Lynemouth coal power plant to operate entirely on biomass were in line with EU state aid rules.

Title & link –         Biomass Magazine: Report highlights growth of EU pellet consumption

Date –                   17 February 2015

Reference –          Biomass Magazine

Author –               Erin Voegele

Summary –           The EurObserv’ER has published a new edition of its Solid Biomass Barometer

Title & link –        The New York Times: A Biofuel Debate: Will Cutting Trees Cut Carbon?

Date –                   10 February 2015

Reference –          The New York Times

Author –               Eduardo Porter

Summary –           The New York Times asks whether combating climate change require burning the world’s forests and crops for fuel.

Title & link –        Biomass Magazine: EU approves U.K. state aid for Teesside biomass CHP plant

Date –                   22 January 2015

Reference –          Biomass Magazine

Author –               Erin Voegele

Summary –           Biomass Magazine reports on the European Commission’s decision to approve the UK’s plan to provide state aid to the proposed Teesside combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plant

Title & link –        The Guardian: 'Green' biomass boilers may waste billions in public money

Date –                   14 January 2015

Reference –          The Guardian

Author –               Arthur Nelson

Summary –           The Guardian reports that over £10bn could be paid in incentives for non-domestic biomass boilers despite a government study showing they are less efficient than thought and won’t help the UK meet clean energy targets

Title & link –        The Telegraph: Why biomass is key to the UK's energy future

Date –                   4 November 2014

Reference –          The Telegraph

Author –               James Quinn

Summary –          In an interview with James Quinn, Drax chief executive Dorothy Thompson explains why the times are a-changing at the UK's largest electricity power station.

Title & link –        The Telegraph: Drax boss Dorothy Thompson defends high energy bills for homeowners

Date –                   4 November 2014

Reference –          The Telegraph

Author –               James Quinn

Summary –          Chief executive Dorothy Thompson does not believe the lights will go out this winter - but is 'uneasy' around energy plant failures

Title & link –        BBC:  Drax renewable energy move 'could harm forests'

Date –                   22 September 2014

Reference –          BBC

Author –               Staff

Summary –          The UK's biggest coal power station has been accused of causing environmental damage as it moves to produce electricity from "renewable" resources.

Title & link –        The Guardian: Drax admits defeat on state subsidy as court of appeal rules for government

Date –                   7 August 2014

Reference –          The Guardian

Author –               Angela Monaghan

Summary –          Angela Monaghan reports on the court of appeal’s decision on subsidies for Drax

Title & link –     The Times: Another renewable myth goes up in smoke

Date –               28 July 2014

Reference –      The Times

Author –           Matt Ridely

Summary –      Matt Ridley reports on the setback in the search for clean energy.

Title & link –       The Times: Letters to the Editor

Date –                  28 July 2014

Reference –         The Times

Author –              Alastair Kerr

Summary –         A letter to the Editor by Alastair Kerr, WPIF Director General, addressing DECC’s recent report on biomass.

Title & link –    The Times: Biomass plants can be less green than coal-fired