UK earmarks £26 million to fund domestic biomass feedstock production

The U.K. government is setting aside £26 million (roughly $44.5 million) to boost the country’s production of biomass for powering homes and business.

The government announced on Friday that the funding will support the development of innovative new biomass production solutions, “from water-based materials such as algae, to whole trees through sustainable forestry operations,” to help the U.K. reach net zero.

“Developing greener fuels like biomass is key to helping the U.K. slash carbon emissions and drive down costs for consumers,” Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said in a news release. “This £26-million government investment will support innovators across the U.K., boosting jobs and investment, and help ensure we have the homegrown supply we need to support our plans to build back greener and tackle climate change.”

The funding is for Phase 2 of the U.K.’s Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme. In Phase 1, 25 projects were awarded a share of £4 million. For Phase 2, these projects are able to bid for up to £4 million in funding for single sites, or up to £5 million for multi-site projects.

The goal of the programme is to boost U.K. sources of bioenergy to reduce the country’s reliance on imported biomass feedstock.

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