Energy and Climate Change Committee - Draft Energy Bill: Pre-legislitive ScrutinyWritten evidence submitted by KTI Energy Limited
KTI Energy Limited is specialist developer of large scale renewable CHP schemes serving communities of the size of Sheffield. The attached e-mails to Ministers and Members of Parliament draw attention to unacceptable obstruction by waste officers to the development of such renewable CHP schemes generating and supplying targeted green electricity and heat to communities to promote their economic growth.
Ministerial responsibility for the planning and execution of large scale renewable CHP schemes rests equally with Ministers of State in DECC, BIS, Defra, DCLG and The Treasury. The Minister of State at DCLG, Greg Clark MP, has responsibility for devising a planning system under Sections 95, 96 and 97 of the National Planning Policy Framework by which waste planning authorities can no longer obstruct local planning authorities on where and how such renewable CHP schemes should be located and executed. A significant issue to be determined by the Minister of State at Defra is to confirm SRF (solid recovered fuel) is not a waste, energy recovery from SRF is not energy recovery from waste, and a SRF combustor is not an incinerator.
KTI Energy Limited accepts wind power is likely to be the mainstay of DECC’s renewable energy programme. But only waste and virgin biomass fuels are able to predictably generate and supply green electricity and heat to major energy users over 8,000 hours per annum. That means energy availability over 90% compared with around 35% from wind power. Government allowing Defra and its waste officers to dispose waste and virgin feedstock wherever they choose is a crime against communities which rightfully expect the waste they produce is gainfully returned to promote growth in their communities and not, against their will, mindlessly incinerated.
KTI Energy Limited additionally deplores stand-alone power stations fired by virgin biomass (eg wood pellets) costing around £100 per tonne imported from the United States and other nations. The reason is the high ROC value (around 2.5 ROCs per MWh) such projects demand for economic viability. The much better course is for wood pellets to be co-fired with SRF and other waste derived fuel to generate green electricity and heat by licensed multi-fuel renewable CHP schemes selling green electricity and heat at their retail price to public and private major energy users. The Minister of State at DECC appears not to have investigated the logistics of such renewable CHP schemes notwithstanding exhortation from KTI Energy Limited to do so.
KTI Energy Limited finally highlights the public sector (Government offices, NHS hospitals, Network Rail, etc) could set a good example to all by purchasing as much green electricity and heat from licensed multi-fuel renewable CHP schemes is could be made available from the renewable energy industry. We repeat “it is not for intellectually challenged waste officers to obstruct their development”.
June 2012