Yorkshire & the Humber has 92,082 hectares(ha) of woodland, six per cent of the regions 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.
Wood and other sources of Biomass have an important contribution to make to our future energy needs:
- Climate change is a reality and using woodfuel will help reduce our reliance on burning fossil fuels which contributes to the process of global warming.
- New markets for woodfuel will help to create and maintain rural jobs and contribute to the sustainable management of our Woodlands.
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 with regional partners such as South Yorkshire Forest Partnership, CO2sense, the White Rose Forest and Yorwoods 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. The Forestry Commission has been successful in producing a series of strategic guidance documents with some of the areas other authorities; The Vision for Biomass, with Government Office for Yorkshire & The Humber, and the Regional Forest Strategy with the Regional Assembly. These give a long term view of the commitment to woodfuel. The Forestry Commission is also a member of the Humberside Rural Partnership.
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.
For more information about using wood as fuel in Yorkshire and The Humber please contact Rudie Humphrey, the Forestry Commissions Woodfuel Co-ordinator by ‘email’ or call 01904 448778. pdf.
