SRC is suited to a wide range of soil conditions from those of arable land through grassland to the poor soils of reclaimed sites. SRC can be an efficient way of removing excess nutrients present in soils, reducing leaching into watercourses. Application of digested sewage sludges can improve soil quality, nutrient status and yields. At the power plant the wood is gasified and the resulting gas is combusted to generate electricity. The same amount of carbon dioxide is released during combustion as was converted into biomass during growth - wood fuel is therefore carbon dioxide neutral.
Acid rain is another environmental problem connected with fuel use.
Wood has a negligible sulphur content which means that the SOX release from the plant will be minimal. Other solid fuels generate large amounts of solid waste. The mining of coal produces massive amounts of colliery spoil that contains significant levels of heavy metals. Similarly, the coal ash left after burning contains heavy metals and represents a considerable disposal problem. By contrast, no solid wastes are generated during SRC production and the ash and effluent from the power plant could be used in fertiliser production.