Chamber and committees

(a) The Scottish Government does not hold figures for the amount of electricity generated by Combined Heat and Power plants which supply district heating schemes.

(b) The Energy Saving Trust in Scotland estimate that, in 2012, district heating schemes provided 103 GWh of heat. This is estimated on a different basis to total heat consumption in Scotland so it is not possible to provide an accurate percentage. We are consulting with a wide range of key data providers and stakeholders, including DECC, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the Energy Saving Trust, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and Scotia Gas Networks, to establish a robust method of annually monitoring heat demand in Scotland.

This approach will ensure that a wide evidence base is being considered and that the expertise and views of the entire sector are being utilised. Scottish Government will provide an update on this work in the Heat Generation Policy Statement which will be published before the end of 2013.

The information requested is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-13327 on 13 March 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The information requested is not held centrally.

http://sh45inta/Publications/2012/12/4995/4.

Figures for electricity and heat from biomass and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants are set out in the following table. It is important to note that figures for (i) biomass include some some of the electricity and heat generated by CHP plants including under (ii), as well as, for (a), electricity-only biomass plants and, for (b), heat-only “primary combustion” plants. Figures for (ii) Combined Heat and Power plants include both fossil fuel and renewable CHP, including biomass.

(a-i) The renewable electricity generated from biomass and waste in 2011 is set out in Table 1. This includes electricity generated by both biomass CHP and biomass electricity plants:

Table 1: Renewable electricity generated from biomass & waste in 2011

*Note: Includes co-firing, plant biomass, animal biomass and biodegradable part of municipal solid waste.

Source: DECC Energy Trends, December 2012

(a-ii) In 2011, Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants in Scotand generated 2,864 GWh of electricity (Source: DECC Energy Trends, September 2012).

(b-i) The Energy Saving Trust in Scotland produce an annual report on renewable heat in Scotland for the Scottish Government. Table 2 shows the renewable heat generated from biomass and waste in 2011:

Table 2: Renewable heat generated from biomass & waste in 2011

Source: Energy Saving Trust, Renewable Heat in Scotland 2011.

(b-ii) In 2011, Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants in Scotand generated 6,813 GWh of heat (Source: DECC Energy Trends, September 2012).

District heating schemes provide the infrastructure to supply heat from a range of sources. The source can be heat only or can be a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant which also generates electricity.

There is also a wide variety of district heating models, with the largest number being small-scale networks in rural areas, mainly heat only networks using woodfuel. A small number of large systems supply much larger numbers of properties, typically using heat from produced by gas-fired CHP plants.

I would therefore suggest it is more helpful to refer to typical examples of the different models:

typical examples of smaller-scale district heating supply a few buildings up to a few hundred properties with heat. Many are woodfuelled heat only systems such as on farms and estates (case studies are available from the Usewoodfuel website www.usewoodfuel.co.uk/using-woodfuel/case-studies/woodfuel-in-practice-farms-and-estates.aspx) or social housing schemes such as Albyn Housing’s Aviemore North scheme (www.usewoodfuel.co.uk/using-woodfuel/case-studies/starnewstar-albyn-housing-society-district-heating.aspx).

typical examples of large-scale district heating are networks supplied by gas-fired CHP such as Aberdeen Heat & Power’s district heating scheme (www.aberdeenheatandpower.co.uk) and the University of Edinburgh’s campus networks, or by Energy from Waste CHP in Shetland (www.sheap-ltd.co.uk).

The offshore wind industry has enormous potential, and to realise this potential it is essential that investors have confidence. The proposals outlined to date in the UK Energy Bill and Electricity Market Reform programme lack the measures to give investors the confidence beyond 2020.

To deliver market certainty and maintain investor confidence, it is crucial that the UK Government progress the Electricity Market Reform programme to give investment clarity and assurance to the energy sector. The UK Government must also make clear their ongoing support for the offshore wind sector and emulate the Scottish Government’s approach by setting a 2030 electricity decarbonisation target now, not in 2016 as planned under the UK Energy Bill.

Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are working closely with port owners and industry partners to progress the expressions of interest received under the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund programme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-13067 on 8 March 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

A financial memorandum is being developed in collaboration with stakeholders, including Convention Of Scottish Local Authorities and will include estimated costs of implementing legislative proposals on early learning and childcare. It will be introduced along with the Children and Young People Bill, at which point funding and the impact on spending review plans can be fully considered.