| |
PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Spalding, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, 2007/05/25 - Dr Jonathan Scurlock, National Farmers Union Chief Adviser on Renewable Energy and Climate Change talks exclusively to Enagri magazine about biofuels, renewable energy and energy agriculture - Enagri.info.
|
| |
The National Farmers Union believes that every farmer in the United Kingdom has the potential to supply, not just crops or livestock, but energy from sustainable, low carbon sources.
Talking in an exclusive interview with Enagri magazine, Dr Jonathan Scurlock, NFU Chief Adviser on Renewable Energy and Climate Change, says, “The best thing that the farmer can be selling is not just a commodity like wood fuel, but the actual energy service.” He discusses at length the opportunities for farmers in supplying biofuel feedstocks, biomass fuels and other energy products, including the production of heat and power.
His thoughts are particularly relevant as this week the UK Government has published its Energy White Paper, Meeting the Energy Challenge, and accompanying policy documents on biomass and anaerobic digestion. All of which offer potential new opportunities to farmers.
“We shouldn’t underestimate the credentials of first generation technology and make it sound like it’s somehow inferior to second generation,” he warns. Adding that while sustainability must be at the core of biofuel production, the UK industry needs “time to adjust and ensure the [auditing] system is practical.”
In conclusion Dr Scurlock says, “The farmer may be the one who arranges and manages the installation of the wood fuel heating boiler/s and then charges the customer for the heat supplied. The organising and mechanics of the wood fuel supply, along with keeping the boiler maintained, is all part of the farm business. The idea that every farmer could become an energy exporter, and that agriculture can help deal with climate change, is a very positive message.”
The full interview with Dr Jonathan Scurlock will be published in the June 2007 issue of Enagri magazine. The magazine will be available from the Enagri website (enagri.info) from Friday 1 June 2007.
|
editor[.]enagri.info 
