BIOMASS CO-FIRING AND DRAX POWER STATION

That this House applauds the fact that a Yorkshire company, Drax Power, is commissioning the largest biomass co-firing facility in the world which when fully operational will account for 12.5 per cent. of its output, equivalent to the energy produced by 600 wind turbines, saving over 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year; notes that under the draft Renewables Obligation Order it is stipulated that electricity suppliers will be limited to obtaining a maximum of 12.5 per cent. of their renewables obligation certificates from the co-firing of biomass with coal; further notes that co-firing is the cheapest form of renewable energy generation and that a cap discriminates against independent power producers and will restrict the amount of co-firing that will take place, so increasing the amount of carbon dioxide that would otherwise be emitted and raising the cost of electricity for the consumer; and calls for the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to increase the cap to 17.5 per cent., as recommended by the independent Oxera study commissioned by his Department.