Biomass Calculator Launched
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The Department of Energy & Climate Change, U.K., announced this week that a scientific calculator has been developed to investigate the impact on carbon emissions of biomass sourced from North America to produce electricity. The calculator finds that biomass, when sourced responsibly, can be used in a low carbon and sustainable way.
The Bioenergy Emissions and Counterfactual Model, developed by DECC, can be used by developers to help make sure they are sourcing their biomass responsibly. This is the first model published by government to take account of changes in the amount of carbon stored in forests over the lifetime of a biomass project.
Chief scientific advisor at DECC, David MacKay, said that "the calculator looks at the changes in the amount of carbon stored in forests in North America when assessing the benefits and impacts of various bioenergy scenarios. It gives new information about which biomass resources are likely to have higher or lower carbon intensities, and so provides insight into a complex topic."
More information about the calculator and its accompanying technical report can be found online.
