Sustainable Communities

Wood-Heating Partnership Project

"Renewable energy from the countryside"

Providing Leicestershire with a new, renewable energy industry by installing efficient, modern, wood-heating equipment and supplying locally produced wood fuel.

Organisation: Rural Energy Trust

Completion Date: 29/04/2004

Location

Leicester and Leicestershire

Project Description

Wood-fuel is a clean, renewable fuel that can be used efficiently for heating at the small and medium scale. The technology is now available to make the use of wood-fuel economic and convenient - allowing it to play a role in the fight against global warming and to encourage better management of our natural resources - Richard Harvey - Chairman, Rural Energy Trust

Background
Modern wood-heating equipment and fuel supply chains are well established in many European countries and in Scandinavia and Finland in particular. However, the UK has been slow to adopt the technology. The Wood-Heating Partnership Project will facilitate the development of a wood-heating industry in Leicestershire by transferring technology and expertise from Finland.

Renewable fuel has many benefits
Wood is a form of biomass and sustainable management of woodland and energy crop resources makes wood a renewable energy source. As long as trees are planted to replace those cut for fuel, wood-fuel is carbon neutral - providing a net reduction in carbon dioxide emissions when compared to using fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas.

Using wood-fuel has other benefits such as revitalising the ancient skill of coppicing in our native woodlands for the benefit of birds, butterflies and woodland flowers. Wood-fuel also creates jobs in the countryside which are much needed in struggling rural communities.

What needs to be done in Leicester Shire
In order for the wood-heating industry to 'take off' in Leicester Shire, three steps will be followed:

1. Creation of a base of knowledge and expertise along with basic practical skills and a group of demonstration heating units;
2. Widening and deepening of the knowledge base of local wood-heating industry by learning from a leading nation in the field and providing training and demonstration activities;
3. Creating the economic and market development activities essential for a new industry.

The principle activities of the project are -

• Monitoring of a number of new wood-heating installations: efficiency, emissions, operational efficiency, fuel compatibility and whole-life costing.
• Dissemination of results of monitoring programme to stakeholders and potential users through publications and demonstration events.
• Research into fuel quality specifications for the heating installations being monitored.
• Wood-fuel procurement, processing, drying, storage and transport studies.
• Establishment of a small-scale pilot wood-pelleting plant.
• Development of the manufacturing base for wood-heating and associated equipment within the area.
• Training for decision makers, building services and property management professionals, installers, manufacturers, forestry contractors and farmers and wood-heating entrepreneurs.
• Development of technical models for heating installations and fuel supply chains.
• Demonstration of wood-fuel harvesting systems and dissemination of results of trial of several systems.
• Provision of advice to potential wood-fuel users, including site appraisals and feasibility studies.
• Helping schools add renewable energy and biomass energy in particular to the curriculum.
• Awareness-raising events for the wider community.

Outcomes

Monitoring and results

• Monitoring of five new wood-heating systems will provide valuable information on the economics and environmental impact of modern systems. Results will be disseminated to stakeholders through publications, demonstration events and four seminars on the subject. It is anticipated that this will facilitate installation of a further 40 systems.

Best practice

• Wood-fuel supply chain activities will establish best practice for the production of wood-fuel under local conditions. A network of 20 wood-fuel suppliers will be established in the area providing locally produced fuel for the new clusters of heating installations.

Jobs and diversification

• Expansion of existing businesses or new business start-ups will create or secure 13 rural jobs and will create diversification opportunities for the use of redundant farm buildings, farm machinery and labour.

Raising awareness

• Training and demonstration events will raise awareness in communities of the need to use renewable energy and will encourage environmentally sustainable business development. A total of 15 learning opportunities will be provided and these will include ICT training for wood-heating entrepreneurs.

Project Contacts

Project manager:
Richard Harvey
Tel: 01664 454 989
E-mail: richard@ruralenergy.co.uk
Website: www.ruralenergy.co.uk

LSEP contact:
Gill Smitherman
Tel: 0116 257 5676
Email: gills@lsep.co.uk
Website: www.lsep.co.uk