Biomass is a significant part of the UK’s renewable energy mix — not just a niche.
According to the Renewable Energy Association (REA), biomass (including bioenergy) in the UK contributes around 12 % of all energy consumed (across heat, power and transport) as of 2024.
For electricity generation specifically: plant biomass in 2023 generated about 20,789 GWh (≈ 20.8 TWh), roughly 7 % of UK electricity.
Installed capacity: more than ≈ 4 GW of dedicated biomass (and co-firing) capacity in the UK.
Domestic vs imports: In 2022 the UK’s “Biomass Strategy 2023” reports that about 66 % of biomass feedstocks used in renewable energy supply (heat, electricity, transport) were from domestic sources.
Land use for biomass crops: In 2023, about 133,000 ha (≈ 2.2 % of UK arable land) was used to grow bioenergy crops (Miscanthus, SRC willow, wheat, maize, sugar beet) for the UK market.
Domestic production is important but imports (especially wood-derived biomass) remain significant.
Sustainability, carbon accounting and competition with other renewables (wind/solar) are major issues.
The UK’s latest biomass strategy (2023) estimates the sustainable potential supply of biomass feedstocks for the UK: ~550-750 PJ in 2025 and ~500-1,000 PJ in 2050 under different scenarios.
The biomass sector supports rural economies: REA reports ~£2 billion annual value and ~34,000 jobs in farming, forestry, processing, transport and logistics.
Sustainability and emissions concerns: While biomass is treated as renewable, some analyses highlight large CO₂ emissions from major biomass-fired plants (e.g., the largest plant in UK emitted ~12.1 Mt CO₂ in 2022).
Some recent short-term setbacks: Electricity from bioenergy in the UK rose in Q3 2024 (to ~9.7 TWh) but earlier there were declines due to maintenance issues at large stations.
The role of biomass is expected to evolve toward negative-emissions technologies (e.g., BECCS – bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) in the coming decades.
The industry has potential for growth (especially if BECCS becomes widely deployed), but structural shifts and policy/regulatory changes will matter a lot.