DECC opens £2mn bioenergy scheme

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has launched a scheme aimed at encouraging innovation in bioenergy. Launched on Monday 8 October, the new initiative is targeted specifically at encouraging research into bioenergy production on wetlands. This comes after DECC's recent bioenergy strategy pointed out 8%-11% of the UK's energy could come from this source by 2020. In the first phase of the scheme, applicants can bid for up to £50,000 to get pre-commercial design ideas "off the drawing board". Those who are successful will be asked to produce a report on their ideas and analysis, which will be assessed by a panel of experts. Organisations with approved designs will be invited to continue to develop their proposals during phase two and can bid for up to £1mn to progress trials of their projects. Applications for phase one should be submitted by 14 November.
DECC