Renewable Energy Directive adopted

The adoption of the Renewable Energy Directive by the European Parliament on Wednesday is a fantastic opportunity for British agriculture, the NFU has said.

The Directive will introduce mandatory targets requiring the EU to meet 20 per cent of energy use and ten per cent of transport energy from renewable sources by 2020.

NFU President Peter Kendall said it would open up "enormous" new markets for UK farmers with the increased uptake of biomass for energy and renewable fuels.

He said: "This represents a fantastic opportunity for British agriculture. It shows the important role farmers can play as part of the solution to climate change.

"Sourcing assured home-grown crops for green industries and using the co-products of production for animal feed will benefit both the environment and UK farmers."

He described the Directive’s mandatory criteria as a "world first", adding that UK agriculture was "well placed" to meet the directive’s stringent environmental standards.

"British agriculture can play a key role in energy security by delivering the sustainable biomass for energy and transport fuels needed to help meet the targets," he said.

Alwyn Hughes, chief executive of Ensus, which will open Europe’s largest bioethanol plant on Teesside this summer, said: "This is very positive news. It provides long-term encouragement to companies investing in this vital new industry to combat climate change.

"We welcome the distinction between good and bad biofuels and the new mandatory sustainability criteria to which we and most European producers already conform."