Yorkshire has 92,082 hectares(ha) of woodland, six per cent of the areas total land cover. The Forestry Commission manages 19,847ha, of which 89 per cent is coniferous and 11 per cent broadleaf. The remaining 70,280ha is under private or local authority ownership. Around 50% of these non-FC woodlands, are currently undermanaged and this could supply in the order of 150,000 ODT of biomass per annum to the local market. It has the potential to develop the woodfuel market, giving the region a great opportunity to bring its woodlands back into management, with the associated improvements in biodiversity this would create. See this as a map here.
The Forestry Commission – through A Woodfuel Strategy for England is working to facilitate an increase of two million tonnes (2mt) of wood used each year as a biomass fuel by 2020. The focus is on community users and small businesses utilising wood from currently under-managed woodlands for local heat generation in modern, efficient boilers.
The Forestry Commission is working to help deliver c50,000m3 extra to the woodfuel market locally. This is part of the Government’s response to the Biomass Task Force of April 2006. It has been successful in helping to produce a series of strategic guidance documents. The Vision for Biomass and the Regional Forest Strategy. For general heating and woodfuel information try Woodfuel Meets the Challenge or the Carbon Trust Guide to Biomass Heating. If you own a woodland or are a forestry contractor looking to develop your business to supply woodfuel the Forestry Commission has produced a Technical Note.
Students and schools may find the WOOD FOR ENERGY poster useful, or the Renewable World website.
For regional information on woodfuel installations in Yorkshire & the Humber, try Woodfuel heating in the North of England: A Practical Guide.
If your looking for a contractor or consultant to help you manage your wood click here for details of those working across Yorkshire and North East.
For woodfuel suppliers, boiler companies and installers in Yorkshire and beyond click here.
If your looking for suppliers of woodchip, logs, wood pellets and other woodfuels in Yorkshire you will find them listed here."
