FAQs
What is the approach to bioenergy sustainability?
The government has adopted initially the principle of mandatory reporting in line with the Renewables Obligation and similar schemes. Some installations will be exempt from this requirement.
It is intended that firm sustainability criteria be adopted in 2013.
Chapter 5 of the government's RHI announcement says
Sustainability reporting
From the start of the scheme, our approach will focus on mandatory sustainability reporting. This will allow time for participants to develop their procurement and reporting systems before specific sustainability criteria are introduced into the RHI and payments become linked to meeting these criteria.
Following this initial sustainability reporting stage, it is anticipated that the RHI will consult on mandatory sustainability criteria, with a view to those criteria taking effect from 2013 onwards.
The approach taken will be consistent with that initially used by the Renewables Obligation (RO), with participants providing information on their biomass feedstock including the country of origin, the source material and details of any applicable environmental quality assurance schemes.
