Wood panel producer Norbord has renewed its call for a government rethink on biomass subsidies.
David McElroy, Norbord’s deputy managing director (commercial), said subsidies should be focused on non-wood fuels and fast-rotation crops.
“Only wood that has reached the end of its useful life should be used by the energy sector,” said Mr McElroy.
“We need to highlight the effects of unfair subsidies that are aimed at burning wood instead of using it, reusing and recycling it as the wood products industry does.”
Last year, Norbord helped the Wood Panel Industries Federation launch the “Make Wood Work” campaign to highlight the impact of the Renewables Obligation on the wood-based panel products industry.
The campaign argues that subsidies enable energy companies to outbid the panel industry for raw material.
Norbord said it consumed about 20% of all the softwood harvested annually in the UK for its MDF, chipboard and OSB production operations.
