Industry Overview
"The UK is legally bound to provide for 15% of its energy needs - including 30% of its electricity, 12% of its heat, and 10% of its transport fuel - from renewable sources by 2020. We expect the Government will surpass the electricity sub-target, but success in this sector may not compensate for under performance in heat and transport. It is not yet halfway towards 12% in heat and the proportion of renewable energy used in transport actually fell last year. On its current course, the UK will fail to achieve its 2020 renewable energy targets."
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Energy and Climate Change Committee Report September 2016
It is apparent that the issue of climate change is increasingly becoming one of the biggest threats to both business and
individuals across all sectors.
In light of the problem at hand, there has been a surge in recent years to develop technologies that can help pacify intensified energy consumption habits across the globe in the most sustainable way possible. Iona believes in the need to provide new opportunities for investors as new markets, technologies and business models emerge, investing in projects which can deliver above market risk-adjusted returns. Both the EU and UK governments have therefore set national targets to decrease reliance on landfill that have resulted in regulations that impose significant financial penalties on waste producers via a 'landfill escalator' tax. Indeed, landfill is no longer seen as an acceptable solution for biodegradable wastes which has led to a rise in alternative waste solutions, namely the biofuels and biomass industries.
An umbrella term for renewable natural organic
material - be that wood, crops or other feedstock such as food or agricultural wastes - used to create electricity, heat and transport fuel.
A term that usually applies to solid biofuel, where Biogas applies to liquids and gases. Biogas includes biomethane, obtained through the anaerobic digestion of plant matter.
Energy from waste (EFW) is a term that defines a type of incineration that involves burning waste at high temperatures to produce energy.
A term which denotes a project designed to reduce the carbon emissions associated with energy production.