Bioenergy - draft policy statement: consultation

Glossary of Terms

Anaerobic Digestion (AD): A collection of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste and/or to produce fuels.

Bioeconomy: The bioeconomy means using renewable biological resources from land and sea, like crops, forests, fish, animals and micro-organisms to produce food, materials and energy.

Bioenergy: Refers to heat or electricity produced using biomass or gaseous and liquid fuels with a biological origin such as biomethane produced from biomass.

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS): BECCS is a negative emissions technology, and if proven at scale, would help achieve Scotland's net zero targets, compensating for residual emissions in hard-to-decarbonise sectors.

Biogas: Gas produced by AD consisting of 50-65% methane and 35-50% CO2, with very small amounts of other gases such as water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and siloxanes.

Biogas upgrading: A process to remove most non-methane gas from biogas to generate biomethane at >95%

Biogenic: Substances which are produced by living organisms are termed biogenic.

Biomass: Refers to any material of biological origin used as feedstock or products (e.g. wood in construction to make chemicals and materials, like bio-based plastics), or as a fuel for bioenergy (heat, electricity and gaseous fuels such as biomethane and hydrogen) or biofuels (transport fuels).

Biomethane: A form of gas that is produced by processing biomass It can be used for the same purposes as natural gas, like producing heat, electricity or transport fuel, and can use the same infrastructure for transmission and end-user equipment.

Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS): (CCUS) encompasses the methods and technologies required to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from large emitters, such as biomass or fossil fuel power plants and industrial processes, and either convert this into new commodities (utilisation) or transport it for safe and permanent storage deep underground in a geological formation.

Circular Economy: A circular economy is one that is designed to reduce the demand for raw material in products; to encourage reuse, repair and manufacture by designing products and materials to last as long as possible, in line with the waste hierarchy.

Co-design: Co-design relies on an inclusive and participative engagement process that empowers specific groups and people in society, to directly influence policy decisions and actions. The aim is to ensure that plans reflect their needs and circumstances, and the barriers they face.

Combined Heat and Power (CHP): Cogeneration of both heat and electricity.

Decarbonisation: A process which reduces the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) being emitted into the atmosphere. It requires a shift from use of fossil fuels to renewable and low carbon sources.

Digestate: The material remaining after the anaerobic digestion of a biodegradable feedstock.

Dispatchable power: Energy generation which can be available on demand.

Energy Security: Energy security can be defined as having sufficient energy generation to meet the volume and type of energy demand at any point, and having the means to get that energy to the point of use.

Gasification: A process that converts organic, or fossil fuel-based, carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Heat Networks: Heat networks distribute heat or cooling from a central source or sources and deliver it to a variety of different customers such as public buildings, shops, offices, hospitals, universities and homes. By supplying multiple buildings, they avoid the need for individual boilers or electric heaters in every building.

Just Transition: Just transition is both the outcome and the process for a fairer, greener future for all, in partnership with those impacted by the transition to net zero.

Negative Emissions Technologies (NETs): (NETs) are an emerging field of technologies that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and, utilising carbon capture and storage, sequester them permanently. NETs can include forms of Direct Air Capture with Carbon Storage (DACCS), Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) or other more experimental means such as enhanced weathering or biochar. NETs can be considered one form of Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs), which also includes natural sequestration methods such as afforestation. It can also be used interchangeably with Carbon Dioxide Removal technologies (CDR).

Net Zero: The balancing of greenhouse gas emissions against greenhouse gas removals with the net result being zero. This can also be referred to as carbon neutral.

Primary woodland: Woodland that has never been cleared by human activity. Can be referred to as undisturbed or unmanaged.

Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI): A financial incentive from the UK Government to promote the use of renewable heat. There is both a domestic and non-domestic scheme.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO): This supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles by encouraging the production of biofuels.

Terawatt-hours (TWh): A Watt-hour is a unit of work or energy equivalent to the power of one watt operating for one hour. A Terawatt-hour is equal to one trillion watt-hours.