In April 2015 the companies using biofuel set-ups will be obliged to prove that they use exclusively ecologically clean fuel. Otherwise, they will be deprived of the financial support. In the framework of this inspection, the Department of Energy and Climate Change drew up an effective strategy for determining ecological compatibility of raw biomass imported from North America.
Recently wood biomass becomes more significant as an energy source. It is expected that by 2020 the alternative energy quota in Great Britain will attain 10% of the total output volume. It will be sufficient to supply eight millions of homes with energy throughout the whole year. There are those who treat this information as a good news, for alternative fuel is regarded as a key way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but there also exists quite a different point of view. In fact, bioenergy is a multifaceted complex and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions depends on a wide range of factors.
As a result of this, the British authorities intend to inspect its factual basis of biomass in order to ascertain its correspondence with the latest scientific projects.
In 2012 the Department of Energy and Climate Change issued the Bioenergy Strategy which permits the use of energy produced exclusively with the help of ecologically clean energy sources. In 2013 new criterion of ecological compatibility, involving heavy fines in case of incompatibility, have been released.
Due to this, among the consumers there arises a question of how to estimate the degree of carbon dioxide emissions. A method called Emissions Contrafactual Model (BEAC) has been devised in order to solve this problem. This model allows to determine the degree of alternative fuel ecological compatibility. Its application will help producers correspond to legislative requirements of Great Britain, which presently appear to be the strictest in the world.
According to the declaration of the Department press secretary, BEAC adopts schemes whish are modelling a complete cycle of the consequences of the alternative energy use. The advantages and disadvantages of various bioenergy schemes are also examined. This method is not regarded as a legislative act but it will help the industry check its production and sales chains for the purpose of defining the degree of emissions into the atmosphere. It will be of a great practical importance for those engaged in alternative energy production and will help find out the ways to achieve long-term and short-term goals.
The press secretary made it more precise that the method in itself, as well as initial data and possible admissions are in public availability. The calculations were under an objective thorough analysis, and the contrafactual approach to hypothesis was employed in the process of their elaboration. This approach revealed the consequences, which could ensue, if wood were not used as alternative fuel.
The preliminary results of this method application can be determined as encouraging. In case if all the standards are followed, it is possible to achieve the goals established by the British authorities by 2020.
