UK’s waste-to-energy output can quadruple by 2015 – CBI

(ADPnews) – Oct 11, 2010 – The share of waste-to-energy generation in the UK’s total electricity mix could surge from the current 1.5% to 6% by 2015 provided strong government leadership on planning and finance are in place.

This is the conclusion of a new report by business lobby group Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which estimated that waste-to-energy technology can potentially offset 34 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel sources.

But in order to realise this potential, the UK government needs to encourage the use of non-recyclable waste, a move that the trade group argues would lower the amount of waste being sent to landfill and propel the country forward in meeting its climate change targets.

“The government needs to encourage the development of more anaerobic digestion and incineration plants, and tackle delays in the planning system,” said Neil Bentley, CBI director of business environment.

The UK has set ambitious targets to boost renewables electricity from 5.5% at present to around 30% to meet the 15% 2020 target for the overall energy mix and slash CO2 emissions by 34% by 2020 and by 80% by 2050, both from 1990 levels.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!