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Background
Biomass heating has considerable potential to reduce carbon emissions from heating and provide a local heating fuel. It has been slow to develop in the UK due to dependence on relatively low cost fossil fuels with a well established infrastructure. Sudden fuel price rises and greater awareness of climate change have created an opportunity to develop local wood fuel supply. Biomass Partnerships was established to replicate development of partnership approaches to wood fuel piloted in Sweden. The project involves a partnership including agencies from nine different European countries.
Aims
The aim of Biomass Partnerships is to aid the development of wood fuel supply chains through both local and European information networks; a core aim locally is to link potential suppliers and users of wood fuel.
Activities
A local network of organisations interested in working together to develop wood fuel was established to promote exchange of information on biomass. Members included biomass companies, local authorities, organisations interested in wood heating and woodland managers. A number of seminars were held on a range of bioenergy issues from fuel supply to plant operation, and study tours have been arranged to successful bioenergy installations in other European countries.
The wood fuel network helped to identify a range of local organisations interested in or already developing wood heating systems, carrying out twenty pre-feasibility advice visits. It also highlighted a range of different wood processing companies and landowners with wood that could be used as fuel. The partnership was then able to bring a group of organisations together as a partnership to apply for DEFRA funding to establish a local wood fuel supply co-operative. The application was successful and Gloucestershire Wood Fuels was established in April 2006. As of Autumn 2006, around 4MW of new biomass heating was under development in the area.
Similar work programmes were carried out by the other European partners:
Funding
Biomass Partnerships is funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme of the European Commission and the Community Renewables Initiative (funded through DTI, DEFRA, the Countryside Agency and the Forestry Commission).
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Key Points
A partnership approach to development of wood fuel Addressing supply and demand side issues Led to establishment of the Gloucestershire Wood Fuels co-operative |
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The sole responsibility for the content of this document lies with the authors. It does not represent the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
To find out more contact
Pete West, Project Manager Tel (01594) 545366 E-mail: [email protected] Severn Wye Energy Agency Ltd 6/15 The MEWs Brook Street Mitcheldean Gloucestershire GL17 0SL
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