UK power plants to use palm oil
At least four new power stations being planned around the UK are considering turning to burning vegetable oils with the assurance that they will generate less pollution than burning fossil fuels.
Two of the power stations would power more than 50,000 homes are considering burning palm oil, which is blamed for causing rainforest destruction in south-east Asia.
W4B Energy has submitted a planning application to build a €33 million plant in Portland, Dorset, with claims that it would use only sustainable supplies certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Vogel Energy’s proposed plant at Newport in South Wales also claims production of its palm oil would not harm the environment.
But environmentalists say using any palm oil would be unwise because it would put pressure on supplies, even if the supplies which go into the power stations are officially sustainable. Some green groups are also unsure whether the RSPO system for certifying ‘sustainable’ supplies is sufficiently robust.
Most of the 38 million tonnes of palm oil produced globally is used in food and cosmetics. But the need for biofuels to mix with petrol and as ‘feedstock’ for power stations is putting pressure on demand, which is forecast to grow at 6 to 10% a year.
Two of the power stations would power more than 50,000 homes are considering burning palm oil, which is blamed for causing rainforest destruction in south-east Asia.
W4B Energy has submitted a planning application to build a €33 million plant in Portland, Dorset, with claims that it would use only sustainable supplies certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Vogel Energy’s proposed plant at Newport in South Wales also claims production of its palm oil would not harm the environment.
But environmentalists say using any palm oil would be unwise because it would put pressure on supplies, even if the supplies which go into the power stations are officially sustainable. Some green groups are also unsure whether the RSPO system for certifying ‘sustainable’ supplies is sufficiently robust.
Most of the 38 million tonnes of palm oil produced globally is used in food and cosmetics. But the need for biofuels to mix with petrol and as ‘feedstock’ for power stations is putting pressure on demand, which is forecast to grow at 6 to 10% a year.
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