Boston
12MWe Biomass Project
EU and Government Led Policies
Renewables Obligation
Alternative Use Group Plc’s core business is Energy from Waste, specifically Renewable electricity projects producing “Green Energy”. The Government and EU support this type of Industry by offering the Renewable Obligation (RO).
The RO is the main support scheme for renewable electricity projects in the UK. It places an Obligation on all UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources.
A Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) is a green certificate issued to an accredited generator for eligible renewable electricity generated within the UK and supplied to customers within the UK by a licensed electricity supplier. ROCs are issued for each megawatt hour (MWh) of eligible renewable output generated.
In the case of AUG Energy from Waste technology, Gasification is eligible for 2 ROCs as demonstrated below:
Article 8(1) to the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Order 2007 refers.
2.61. An Advanced Conversion Technology (ACT) can be gasification, pyrolysis or anaerobic digestion and any combination of these. If these processes are used to manufacture a fuel (gas or liquid) from waste then that fuel is eligible under the RO.
BERR Decision Document (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) Renewables Obligation Government Response January 2008 refers the Banding in which Technologies qualify for a number of ROCs.
| Band |
Technologies |
Levels of Support
ROCs/MWh |
| Established 1 |
Landfill Gas. |
0.25 |
| Established 2 |
Sewage gas, co-firing on non-energy crop (regular) biomass. |
0.5 |
| Reference |
Onshore wind; hydro-electric; co-firing of energy crops; EfW with combined heat and power; geopressure; other not specified. |
1.0 |
| Post-Demonstration |
Offshore wind; dedicated regular biomass. |
1.5 |
| Emerging |
Wave; tidal stream; fuels created using advanced conversion technologies (anaerobic digestion; advanced gasification* and pyrolysis); dedicated biomass burning energy crops (with or withour CHP); dedicated regular biomass with CHP; solar photovoltaic; geothermal; tidal impoundment (e.g. tidal lagoons and tidal barrages (<GW)); microgeneration. |
2.0 |
April 2009 Final Guidance for Generators over 50kW
| Technologies |
Levels of Support
ROCs/MWh |
Number of MWh to be generated for 1 ROC to be awarded |
| Landfill Gas. |
0.25 |
4 |
| Sewage gas, co-firing on non-energy crop (regular) biomass. |
0.5 |
2 |
| Onshore wind; hydro-electric; co-firing of energy crops; EfW with combined heat and power; geopressure; other not specified. |
1.0 |
1 |
| Offshore wind; dedicated regular biomass. |
1.5 |
0.66 |
| Wave; tidal stream; fuels made using anaerobic digestion, advanced gasification* or pyrolysis; dedicated biomass burning energy crops (with or withour CHP); dedicated regular biomass with CHP; solar photovoltaic; geothermal; tidal impoundment (e.g. tidal lagoons and tidal barrages (<GW)); microgeneration. |
2.0 |
0.5 |
*Advanced Gasification means electricity generated from a gaseous fuel which is produced from waste or biomass by means of gasification, and has a gross calorific value when measured at 25 degrees Celsius and 0.1 megapascals at the inlet to the generating station of at least 4 megajoules per metre cubed.
Ofgem (www.ofgem.gov.uk)
The Renewables Obligation, the Renewables Obligation Scotland and the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation are designed to incentivise renewable generation into the electricity generation market. These schemes were introduced by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Scottish Executive and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment respectively and are administered by the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (whose day to day functions are performed by Ofgem. The Renewables Obligation Order came into effect in April 2002, as did the Renewables Obligation Order (Scotland). The Renewables Obligation (Northern Ireland) Order came into effect in April 2005.
Elexon (www.elexon.co.uk)
Each project must obtain accreditation to produce and claim ROCs, this is done through Ofgem Regulating and Governing this process is Elexon, a balance and Settlement Company which manages the electricity and trading arrangements of England and Wales.
Environment Agency (www.environment-agency.gov.uk)
To ensure that these leading technologies are able to demonstrate high efficiency and responsibility to the environment, the Environment Agency is structured to issue each project with an Operating Licence which is a legal document which monitors the general running conditions, emission limits to Air, Water and Land. Noise regulations are also regulated here. |
