Biomass from forestry, crops and waste could reduce UK’s carbon emissions by almost three million tonnes a year; the equivalent of emissions by 3.25 million cars. The departments of environment (Defra) and industry (DTI) commissioned the study together.

While presenting the report, chairman Sir Ben Gill said: “We estimate there could be 20 million tonnes of biomass available annually. The challenge for the Government now is to unlock this vast potential. Our findings show that producing heat either alone or in Combined Heat and Power plants is by far the most efficient way of using biomass.”

The Task Force makes 42 recommendations, including a call for the introduction of capital grants to fund more biomass heating boilers and says that public buildings can be the ideal place to begin the expansion. It also points at the shortcomings to give renewable heat the right value, whereas renewable power does not give any problem here. The Task Force concludes that one of the biggest barriers to progress is ignorance. It recommends establishing a single information point on biomass for the country as a whole.

Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks at the Department for Trade and Industry responded: “This wide-ranging report leaves us in no doubt that biomass has the potential to make a real and lasting contribution toward renewable energy and heat in the UK. We have already shown our commitment to biomass through the £66 million Bioenergy Capital Grants that have funded 22 projects so far and the £5 million given to support smaller-scale schemes through the Clear Skies programme. We will now examine the recommendations that are contained in today’s report to see how we can further develop this technology for the future.”

The task force values the support to develop biomass heating at a cost of about £10-20 million a year.