Woodfuel in England
The Woodfuel Strategy and Implementation Plan
The Forestry Commission in England is supporting the development of woodfuel – a clean, efficient and renewable energy source.
The Forestry Commission’sWoodfuel Strategy for England (PDF 3.9 MB) was launched in 2007. The main aim of the Strategy is to bring an additional two million tonnes of wood into the market, annually, by 2020 saving 400,000 tonnes of carbon every year – the equivalent of 3.6 million barrels of crude oil and enough to supply 250,000 homes with energy. To achieve this target we will be focusing our efforts on the potential wood resource available in the 60% of English woodlands that are currently under-managed.
A woodfuel implementation plan is currently being developed which will set out how the Forestry Commission plans to achieve the Strategy’s challenging targets.
National Policy
The UK Government is committed to combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% of 1990 levels by 2050. In 2008, Government signed up to European targets to produce 15% of all energy produced in the UK from renewable sources and the recent Renewable Energy Strategy proposed that 30% of that renewable energy would come from bioenergy. Woodfuel is a sustainable and low carbon source of bioenergy that can make a substantial contribution to achieving these targets. For more information on national renewable energy and climate change policy visit the Department for Energy and Climate website.
Within the Forestry Commission, England, Scotland and Wales are working in partnership with many private and public sector organisations to help deliver these national bioenergy targets.
Benefits of Woodfuel
Woodland management allows more light to reach the forest floor leading to an increase in woodland flowers, insects and animals, as well as improving the quality and value of the potential timber resource. Bringing more of England’s woodlands into active management could help support wildlife in one of our richest habitats. Research published last year showed how flora and woodland birds are suffering from lack of woodland management in many of our native woods, whilst many woodland butterflies are in steep decline. For more information on our work into woodland biodiversity and sustainable forestry management visit our Woodland management benefits web pages.
Using wood from well-managed woods therefore provides a renewable source of fuel and other products as well as giving woodland owners an incentive to manage their land productively, improving conditions for wildlife and amenity.
Although burning wood releases carbon dioxide, this is balanced by the carbon dioxide absorbed in the original growth of the trees and in the growth of new ones. It can be viewed as a form of stored solar energy captured by trees as they grow.
Research and development has built on the long history of using wood for fuel, with clean and efficient wood fuel boilers, that burn either wood chips or pellets, becoming more popular in the UK. These are easy to operate and efficient – and provide a market for a local, renewable resource
Although they are more expensive to buy the cost of running a woodfuel boiler is comparable to, or cheaper than, an oil boiler. Woodfuel works best on a local scale – using locally grown trees in efficient boilers to provide heat for business and community use reduces haulage costs and emissions.
The Biomass Energy Centre
Whether you are a small business owner interested in finding out more about installing a woodfuel boiler, or a woodland owner interested in the opportunities that woodfuel represents, you can find a wealth of information on the Biomass Energy Centre website and use the Information Enquiry Service. www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk
Regional Woodfuel Resources
Each of Englands regional offices is working in partnership with regional and local woodfuel businesses and organisations to promote and develop woodfuel markets and supply chains. For more information, including regional events, lists of suppliers and regional statistics click on the map to see your regions woodfuel pages
Select a region on the map to go to your regional woodfuel pages.
Research
Carbon released by burning woodfuel in modern, efficient systems is re-absorbed by growing trees in a cycle that reduces the overall amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. There is some carbon released during the harvesting and processing activities, but this negligible - particularly when compared to fossil fuels such as gas, coal or oil. For more information on our woodfuel research see visit our research pages on woodfuel and climate change.
