Question reference: S6W-04441
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 18 November 2021
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Current status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 30 November 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03371 by Patrick Harvie on 27 October 2021, whether "renewable heating systems in off-gas buildings" includes biomass burners.
Answer
As set out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021, the Scottish Government considers “low and zero emissions heating systems” to be systems that have zero direct greenhouse gas emissions. This includes individual electric heat pumps and connection to heat networks, or electric systems such as storage heaters, and systems that have very low emissions, such as those that use hydrogen.
In line with the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change, we agree that bioenergy - such as biomass, bio-heating oil and bio-propane - should only be used in those applications where its carbon reduction impact is maximised, where alternative options are not available, and where it comes from sustainable sources.
We recognise that, for a small number of homes, bioenergy might offer the only feasible way to reduce emissions from heating to displacing fossil fuels in off-gas-grid areas, especially where electric heating or heat pumps are unsuitable.
We will therefore consider how such homes may be dealt with under any future regulatory system, including through the potential use of limited exemptions, as part of the consultation on our approach to regulating heat in buildings during 2022.