Campaigners warn against calls for Moneypoint conversion to biomass

national | environment | opinion/analysis

Wednesday April 16, 2014 11:57

by Biofuelwatch - Biofuelwatch

Having followed the partial conversion of Drax coal power station in the UK to biomass, we are dismayed to see calls across the Irish media for Moneypoint to be converted to biomass. Those calls follow ReThink Pylon's recent publication of a report by a UK consultancy which greenwashes Drax's experience.

Running Moneypoint on biomass would require pellets made from around 7.2 million tonnes of wood a year – compared to a total annual wood production of some 2.7 million tonnes in Ireland. The only type of biomass that can be burned in such power stations is wood from slow growing trees (and not residues, which are too high in bark) – other feedstock corrodes the boilers. Such a conversion would almost certainly rely on pellets imported from Canada and the southern US. Both are regions where highly biodiverse and carbon rich forests are increasingly being clearcut to make pellets from Europe – a disaster for forests and bad news for the climate, too.

See http://www.dogwoodalliance.org/2014/04/biomass-conversi...land/ .

Speaking out against this misguided proposal before it gains more political credibility is vital – otherwise North American forests will be sacrificed for another false 'energy solution'.