Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's consultation on a transitional support mechanism for large-scale biomass generators, published on 18 January 2024, what steps she has taken to ensure that the subsidies proposed in that consultation would not allow biomass companies to receive subsidies without capturing any carbon.

The consultation on potential transitional support arrangements for large scale biomass generators is with the express intention of facilitating their transition to power BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) in future, which will deliver valuable negative carbon emissions.

Subsidies under the future power BECCS business model are not considered within the scope of this consultation on potential transitional support.