Small bioelectricity plants dirtier than large ones, says study

The University of Manchester (UK)
13 May 2008

Small-scale community based bio-power plants produce higher levels of emissions per unit of electrical output than large facilities, according to new research presented at a major sustainable energy conference today (Tuesday 13 May 2008).

Dr Patricia Thornley from The Tyndall Centre for Climate Research at The University of Manchester, will present her findings at the United Kingdom Energy Research’s Centre’s Sustainable Energy UK conference in Oxford.

Dr Thornley says that while small facilities do have their plus points – for example, transport impacts are lower and local communities tend to like and support them – their environmental performance is usually inferior to that of larger plants.

However, she will also stress that the overall pros and cons of different types of bioelectricity generating facilities cannot be judged on just one parameter.

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