ANNUAL REPORT FLIPPING BOOK.pdf

Matthew Rivers 'LUHFWRU RI )XHO 3URFXUHPHQW 'UD[

SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS A UNIQUE ROLE IN THE UK ENERGY MIX

(QVXULQJ WKDW WKH 8.·V WUDQVLWLRQ WR D ORZ carbon economy is done cost effectively, through the use of biomass, helps keep our economy competitive and supports growth DQG MREV ERWK LQ WKH GHYHORSPHQW DQG RSHUDWLRQV SKDVHV $W 'UD[ 3RZHU 6WDWLRQ IRU H[DPSOH ZRUN SURYLGHG WR RQH FRQWUDFWRU alone created or safeguarded more than a WKRXVDQG MREV 7KH FDVH IRU VXVWDLQDEOH ELRPDVV JHQHUDWLRQ LQ WKH 8. LV DV FRPSHOOLQJ DV HYHU EXW LW KDV seen challenge from, mostly poorly informed, sources. Regrettably, and somewhat akin WR WKH IDUPLQJ VHFWRU WKH PDMRULW\ RI SHRSOH (of all walks of life) are too distant from the realities of rural activity and assume that by burning biomass we are responsible for the destruction of the rain forest!

7KH SDVW \HDU KDV EHHQ DQ HYHQWIXO WLPH IRU WKH VXVWDLQDEOH ELRPDVV LQGXVWU\ 'UD[ KDV been a very busy place and our evolution from the owner and operator of a single, albeit ODUJH FRDO ÀUHG SRZHU VWDWLRQ WR D JURXS whose activities span the whole biomass supply chain continues. Over the last year 'UD[ KDV VHHQ QRWDEOH SURJUHVV DFURVV DOO key areas of our business: biomass sourcing, generation and supply. Our own biomass fuel sourcing and processing business in WKH 86 FRQWLQXHV WR JURZ %HVSRNH ELRPDVV receiving, storing and distribution facilities KDYH EHHQ FRPPLVVLRQHG DW WKH 'UD[ 3RZHU 6WDWLRQ LQ 6HOE\ 1RUWK

Our ambition remains to convert three of the VL[ JHQHUDWLQJ XQLWV DW 'UD[ 3RZHU 6WDWLRQ to burn sustainable biomass in place of coal, with a fourth unit under evaluation. We have already converted two units and plan to convert the third in 2015/16. Our transformation is the largest decarbonisation SURMHFW LQ (XURSH DQG ZLOO PDNH 'UD[ WKH ODUJHVW UHQHZDEOH JHQHUDWRU LQ WKH 8. DQG RQH RI WKH ODUJHVW LQ (XURSH :KLOH VRPH RWKHU UHQHZDEOHV WHFKQRORJ\ SURMHFWV may claim to have similar capacities, their intermittency and therefore load factor, leaves them trailing when it actually comes to electricity dispatched. Our two converted units alone supply more than enough renewable electricity to meet the needs of two million homes.

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