The Australian Forests and Climate Alliance has correctly argued since 2009 that native forest biomass is neither a carbon neutral nor a low emission means by which energy can be generated, either alone or in co-generation facilities.
We observe that the preliminary report of the review you are undertaking includes biomass combustion in its list of ‘low emission’ technologies: ‘There are a number of …. low emission electricity generation technologies such as biomass combustion’
In relation to the carbon emission intensity of wood biomass combustion we refer you to the repeated warnings of groups of scientists both in Australia and from other continents willing to ‘sign off’’ on the certainty that wood biomass combustion is not only not a low emission energy technology (owing to the immediate pulse of CO2 it releases into the atmosphere) but is in fact more likely to generate more GHG emissions globally for a variety of reasons including the loss of carbon sinking role and potential of the forests from which it is harvested.
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