The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Andrea Leadsom)

Today, the Department of Energy and Climate Change is laying the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme and Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2015 before Parliament. These amendments will introduce improvements that are essential to the smooth-running of both renewable heat incentive (RHI) schemes. Further detail on the changes brought about by these regulations is provided below.

The RHI regulations include requirements for the use of sustainable biomass by participants. These ensure the use of biomass incentivised by the scheme is sustainable in terms of greenhouse gas emissions savings and broader landuse impacts. These requirements were introduced through regulations in February 2015 and come into force on 5 October 2015. The proposed amendments clarify the reporting requirements for non-domestic participants so that combined heat and power (CHP) installations participating in both the renewables obligation (RO) and the RHI do not have to demonstrate compliance with the sustainability requirements under the RHI scheme where they are meeting these requirements under the RO. We are also making two small amendments to correct the definition of sustainable biomethane and the land criteria for non-woody fuels.

[Source]