Woodfuel

 

Burning wood for heat is a truly sustainable source of renewable energy. This is an exciting time for woodfuel in the region and we hope that this page gives you the key information.

Why burn wood?

In the East of England we have as much as 70,000 hectares of undermanaged woodland that could provide renewable fuel. Using this resource sensitively by thinning or coppicing will:

• Provide woodland owners with diversified income streams
• Improve the timber quality of our woodlands for future generations
• Enable new sustainable businesses to open
• Increase rural employment and help the local economy
• Reduce our carbon footprint and help the battle against climate change
• Open up the canopy, bringing more light to the woodland floor to the benefit of biodiversity

The Woodfuel Strategy for England was published by the Forestry Commission in March 2007. It contains a national target of bringing to market an additional 2 million tonnes of wood, annually, by 2020. This represents approximately 50% of the currently unharvested sustainable yield in English woodlands and would save 400,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Wood for heat has been a priority for the East of England since the publication of the Regional Woodland Strategy in 2003.

A regional woodfuel project

The Forestry Commission, in partnership with Renewables East, has commissioned a report entitled "Scoping of a Woodfuel Project for the East of England". The report recommends that in order to oversee investment in the woodfuel sector, and to draw together the awareness raising and promotional activities required, a woodfuel specific and time bounded project is created.

"Woodfuel East" will facilitate a significant increase in the uptake of woodfuel installations and build capacity in the associated supply chain within the region. Total investment will exceed £16 million between 2008 and 2013.

The objective will be to stimulate an increase in the amount of biomass made available from existing woodlands of approximately 110,000 green tonnes by 2013. This is an increase of 50% on current wood production from the region.

Achieving such an increase in timber supply would, assuming average conditions, lead to the savings of 40,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year and be equivalent to supplying 25,000 homes with energy (by 2020).

It is envisaged that the project will:

• Raise awareness
• Give advice
• Provide facilitation
• Undertake training
• Provide capital investment

Project beneficiaries are identified as:

• Woodland owners
• Agents and consultants
• Contractors
• Installers
• Users

Working closely with sector partners, the Forestry Commission is making a significant bid for Rural Development funding to support woodfuel in the region. This bid, to the Regional Development Agency EEDA, has now passed the "concept" stage and we are working on a full business plan.

Research

A series of reports have been produced to assess the potential for the development and growth of the wood energy industry in the East of England.

• The first looks at the development of harvesting systems that will allow undermanaged woodlands in the East of England to be accessed economically for the production of woodfuel.
• The second examines the existing and potential markets and seeks to identify the main opportunities for growth in the sector.
• The third addresses the realistic opportunities for increasing the use of woodfuel in the East of England.

Contact

For further information on woodfuel in the East of England contact:

Edwin van Ek
Forestry Commission
Santon Downham
Brandon
Suffolk IP27 0TJ

Tel: 01223 773075
Email: edwin.vanek@woodfueleast.org.uk

Links

National

• Forestry Commission England woodfuel
• Woodfuel Information Pack
• The Biomass Energy Centre

Regional

• Anglia Woodfuels
• Renewables East