In an important lobbying success for the NFU and NPA, two companies developing straw-fired power stations in East Anglia have taken steps to address farmers’ concerns, reassuring local suppliers and users of straw about their aim to create a steady, predictable fuel demand.
Together, the two 40-megawatt plants could utilise about half a million tonnes of straw and other biomass to provide low-carbon electricity for 130,000 households.
Livestock farmers in the region raised concerns last year about the availability of straw for the Mendlesham plant, which is only 25 miles from Snetterton. However, Iceni's Snetterton project, which already has planning permission, is intended to be fuelled by a combination of oil seed rape straw, wheat straw and wood chip.
Mendlesham will use wheat straw, miscanthus and wood chip.
At a high level meeting earlier this summer, NFU and NPA representatives challenged Eco2 to provide further details of their proposed investment in the straw supply chain. These have been summarised as a three-page briefing in 'Frequently Asked Questions' format.
The NFU welcomes the stimulus to new regional markets for rape straw, together with improving standards and assurance of supply for the existing wheat straw market. The NPA has already been working with Iceni Energy and Anglia Farmers on a straw sourcing policy that limits the possible negative effects on the regional straw market from the planned power plant at Snetterton, Norfolk.
Jonathan Scurlock, NFU Chief Renewable Energy Adviser, commented: "it is most helpful that power generators have listened to farmers' voices and are now clarifying the extent of their wheat straw take, while creating new markets for OSR straw, for which there are few existing uses.
“This is consistent with the NFU's ambition that farming can supply both food and energy markets through well-planned renewable energy projects."
Last year, an ad-hoc NFU/NPA straw working group met a number of times under the chairmanship of NFU Vice President Adam Quinney, to better develop policy on straw supply and demand.
One of its agreed actions was for the AHDB to provide consistent information on straw sourcing and storage. The joint Eco2/Iceni press release (May 2013) can be read here.