Woodfuel production to increase in South West England
Friday 13 November 2009
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| Angela Duignan said the Forestry Commission aimed to increase the use of woodfuel in England by two million tonnes by 2020 |
The Forestry Commission has announced plans to increase the amount of woodfuel produced in the South West of England in an effort to improve the heat supply chain.
Speaking at the Regen SW Renewables Futures event in Bath this week, the Forestry Commission's head of woodfuel implementation, Angela Duignan, emphasised the aim to increase the use of woodfuel in England by two million tonnes by 2020.
Central to this growth, she said, are the Commission's efforts to improve the supply chain, by increasing the demand and availability of wood chips, logs and pellets. She claimed that this would create environmental, social and commercial benefits by improving the biodiversity of woodlands, and creating new jobs and business opportunities.
Ms Duignan outlined that the South West is England's second most wooded region, with 212,000 hectares of woodland, and therefore "strongly placed to make a significant contribution to national targets."
She said: "Woodfuel is a real alternative to fossil fuels for heat and hot water generation. It is both sustainable and available, providing a locally-produced and carbon-lean fuel, with added environmental and business benefits.
"The renewable energy targets for the UK provide for a potentially significant growth in the woodfuel market," she added.
The FCE's Woodfuel Strategy for England, published in 2007, sets out its targets for increasing woodfuel use. This includes bringing undermanaged woodland back into use and encouraging businesses and community buildings to use modern, fuel-efficient wood chip boilers.
To achieve these targets the commission is working with a number of regional partners, including Regen SW and the South West Regional Development Agency.
Angela Duignan also commented yesterday that the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive should be "good enough to have the impact we need in the market (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story) and claimed that communications must be "sorted out" to make people realise that burning wood can be good for the environment.
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