Current status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the (a) expansion of anaerobic digestion and biogas capacity and (b) reported potential negative impact of any such developments on efforts to tackle the climate crisis and their increased reliance on the existing gas network.
The Scottish Government supports the expansion of anaerobic digestion and biogas capacity, where it adheres to the guiding principles for bioenergy use as set out in our draft Bioenergy Policy Statement (BPS). These include the use of biomass, when in compliance with SEPA environmental regulations and stringent sustainability criteria. Bioenergy use must support emissions reduction and facilitate Scotland’s sustainable development goals.
The draft BPS also sets out that in the longer term, bioenergy should be prioritised towards applications with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) - which will support decarbonisation across relevant sectors and contribute to efforts to meet Scotland’s net zero targets.