Farmers urged to check if energy projects FiT

NFU Scotland has welcomed the launch of a scheme aimed at increasing the number of renewable energy projects in the UK.
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Apr 2010, 22:55 BST
Updated 4th Apr 2010, 23:15 BST

The union is urging Scottish farmers to take a fresh look at whether such projects may have a role in their business.

The UK currently gets just over 5 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources and the NFU said that the new Feed in Tariff (FiT) scheme presents an important stimulus if the UK is to meet its target of 30 per cent generated from such sources by 2020.

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The FiT scheme opened on 1 April and is available to any renewable energy projects that began after July 2009 as well as those that are established in the future. FiT guarantees a set fee payable for the electricity generated and an additional rate for electricity exported back to the grid for a set period of time.

Small-scale, low-carbon electricity technologies considered as eligible include wind, solar, hydro, anaerobic digestion and biomass.

NFU Scotland president Jim McLaren said: "FiT presents a huge opportunity for Scottish farmers."