Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what shortfall in capacity UK ports and harbours are expected to identify in regard to managing the importation of biomass fuels in each of the next 20 years.

We are aware that certain ports have an interest in replacing falling coal movements with biomass. However, it is for biomass supply chains and ports to determine the facilities that they require and which are available.

The Government does not publish projections of the future use of biomass fuels. Accurate modelling of future biomass requirements requires, among other things, knowledge of future Government policies which are yet to be decided. However, in 2011 we published an analysis of the technical potential of various biomass feedstocks which could be available for use in bioenergy. This can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/48059/1464-aea-2010-uk-and-global-bioenergy-report.pdf