Biomass - Green?

[mushroom25]

https://www.bbc.com./news/science-environment-63089348

doesn't look like it. so why has Drax received billions of pounds in green energy subsidies from UK taxpayers?

[ToraToraTora]

Drax has been a massive con trick, the judge will be along soon to explain in detail.

[douglas9401]

Doesn't seem to take long for questions to come around again these days.

[Gromit]

Biomass is not a fossil fuel.
So it is not introducing historic carbon back into the atmosphere.
It is better than coal and gas, but not the cleanest of renewable energy.

Biomass also uses waste organic material from our refuse. Garden waste, food production waste and supermarket sell by waste. That would go into landfill and rot to give off greenhouse gases. By using it to generate energy, we are eliminating landfill gases.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// not the cleanest of renewable energy //

Carbon Neutral?

[ToraToraTora]

gromit, "Biomass is not a fossil fuel" - indeed, "biomass" is trees, you know those things that take carbon out of the atmosphere. Hacked down and minced into pellets. Then loaded on a diesel powered ship and transported thousands of miles to be burned! How that can that possibly be carbon neutral? Oh they plant a new tree for each one, yeah right a 200 year old redwood is replaced by a sapling from B&Q! Drax would be more carbon neutral if they simply burnt it to the ground. It's an ecological disaster at the moment.

[THECORBYLOON]

"Doesn't seem to take long for questions to come around again these days."

It's recycling at its best...

[Gromit]

// Carbon Neutral? // yep. Apart from the transportation emissions.

TTT, I agree, that transporting the fuel from Canada causes emissions. But all our coal is shipped in causing similar emissions.

Carbon capture technology is finally starting to look viable and scalable. When it does biomass, coal and gas will become a lot more green.

[mushroom25]

//recycled questions //

maybe, but it's the BBC that started it this time.... https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001cw6z

[ToraToraTora]

gromit: "TTT, I agree, that transporting the fuel from Canada causes emissions. But all our coal is shipped in causing similar emissions" - it's not just the shipping the whole production cycle spews carbon from chopping down the trees to putting them on trucks to the factory that mashes them. Then there is burning yes burning belching huge amounts of CO2 out. There is no way this can be carbon neutral.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// Carbon Neutral? // yep. Apart from the transportation emissions.//

As a result of the biomass fuel used by Drax to generate electricity, it appears harmful emissions are released into the atmosphere. These toxic particulates contaminate the environment and puts lives at risk. Compensation given to American (USA) regulators is testimony to this, is it not.

Is this an acceptable trade off?

[webbo3]

New judge has been talking about this for ages

[Gromit]

// There is no way this can be carbon neutral. //

Probably not. But not as bad a burning fossil fuel from Africa, South America and Poland.

Burning fuel causes emissions. The exhaust from your boiler or car are invisible and not cloudy. But are just as lethal to theenvironment.

[gl556tr]

Tax carbon. Subsidies on such fuels put to future energy-saving projects, such as urgently-needed cladding.