In an attempt to move away from fossil fuels, the UK has deployed a range of technologies to move towards renewable energy. Many old coal power plants now burn biomass instead to generate electricity, accounting for 8.6% of the total energy supply in 2022. This biomass is made up of wood pellets imported to the UK – much of this biomass is from trees cut down in forests overseas. This is known to harm the climate and biodiversity, as well as pose risks to human health. Drax power station in Yorkshire burns several million tonnes of wood pellets every year. It is the UK’s largest single source of CO2 emissions and one of the top five emitters in Europe of PM10 from power stations emitting PM10.
The wood pellets imported to the UK are produced in countries in Europe, in Canada, and in the United States. In the southeast US, wood pellet mills are often located near, or in, “environmental justice” communities (places with higher levels of poverty or people of colour). Wood pellet facilities are more than twice as likely to be located in these types of communities, which can harm the health of local residents and exacerbate pre-existing health inequalities due to the large quantities of sawdust and air pollutants they produce, alongside toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
The cutting of trees also harms nature and wildlife. Biomass imported from the US is endangering at least 26 bird species in one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Burning of cut trees to produce energy releases a significant amount of CO2. The offset by planting new trees cannot be claimed for decades until they are fully grown because younger trees do not absorb as much carbon as fully grown forests.
The Climate Change Committee has also said industrial bioenergy is not sustainable or compatible with net zero goals and that the current support through subsidies for large-scale biomass generation should not be extended after they expire in 2027. However, the UK government is considering extending these bioenergy subsidies until 2035. This will cost billions in tax-payers money. Research shows that the bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) solutions for achieving net zero goals endorsed by the UK government can increase costs by £100 billion and a single BECCS plant in the UK could cost £43 billion over its lifetime.
Large-scale use of biomass as a ‘deemed source of renewable energy’ is associated with health, environmental, climate, justice and economic costs. This is not the sustainable, renewable solution the UK government should be transitioning to.