Cluff Geothermal welcome the continuation of the Renewable Heat Incentive

16th November 2015

Cluff Geothermal welcomes the confirmation, made as part of the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review, that the renewable heat incentive (RHI) will continue as the key financial support instrument for renewable heat generators in the UK, and notes that there will be a review of the RHI to make it offer better ‘value for money’.

This announcement comes at the end of the sustained lobbying by the Renewable Energy Association, of which Cluff Geothermal is a member, and Cluff’s Dr Michael Feliks is Chair of the deep geothermal subgroup.

Cluff Geothermal looks forward to inputting to the RHI review through the REA, and is confident that deep geothermal heat will continue to be strongly supported under any future reform of the policy. George Percy, Cluff Geothermal’s Managing Director, said “Decarbonising the UK’s heat supply is one of the largest challenges we face as we move to a sustainable energy future. The Renewable Heat Incentive will be fundamental to rolling out the technologies that are needed to make this transformation, and it is key to making the business case for deep geothermal heat work. We are delighted that the Government has decided to keep it in place.”

Notes for editors:

George Osborne announced on 25 November 2015 that “The government will increase funding for the Renewable Heat Incentive to £1.15 billion in 2021 to ensure that the UK continues to make progress towards its climate goals while reforming the scheme to improve value for money, delivering savings of almost £700 million by 2020-21” – available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-and-autumn-statement-2015-documents/spending-review-and-autumn-statement-2015 , section 11.11 .