• UK Energy supply and security are the key themes of the 2006 Energy Review which is closely linked to the need to reduce carbon emissions. The UK Government advises that energy security is maintained through the diversification of sources of energy, suppliers, and supply routes. The REP satisfies these criteria through the introduction of a new energy generation sources and fuel supply arrangements.
  
  
• The use of wood chip as a fuel for electricity generation is recognised as being carbon free as the CO2 released is equal to that absorbed during the growth of the tree. Replanting of the harvested trees ensures sustainability.
  
  
• The REP will contribute significantly to the Welsh Assembly Government’s renewable energy targets, contributing around 70% of the 2010 renewable generation target for the whole of Wales. This will provide around 35% of the installed capacity target and supply enough renewable energy to meet the needs of roughly one in two Welsh homes.
  
  
• The REP will assist the Welsh Assembly and UK Government in meeting their national and international commitments on Climate Change by displacing fossil fuel generated electricity.
  
  
• Global climate change (or global warming) is recognised as one of the most serious environmental problems facing the world today. It is therefore important to acknowledge that climate change is expected to have real long-term negative impacts within Wales, throughout the UK and internationally.
  
  
• The Renewable Energy Plant will assist in combating climate change through the carbon neutral status of the wood chip fuel. Furthermore, decline in carbon reduction is achieved by the displacement of existing, or avoidance of new emissions from fossil fuel based energy generation such as coal and gas fired power stations.
  
  
• The development will be designed to operate for 25 years and is intended to operate as a baseload (full-time, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year) plant. This has significant advantages compared to the majority of other renewable technologies. Even though technologies such as wind power, solar and photovoltaic are valuable contributors, they can often only operate for 25% to 30% of the year.
  
  
• By adopting a plant of 350MWe size, a high efficiency in energy conversion is achieved. The Renewable Energy Plant is designed to achieve efficiency of 36% compared to efficiency of around 22% of a 40 MW plant. The difference in energy efficiency means that much less carbon is emitted by the larger plants per MW of electricity produced.

For more information regarding the UK government policy on climate change, and about global warming in general see links below :

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/index.htm
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/landing.asp?id=1278
http://www.climatecrisis.net/thescience/