Alternative - Countering climate change - exploiting renewable energy: 2007 - Creating a localised woodfuel market and demonstration installations

This project arose as an outcome of the 2003 Regional Woodland Strategy under the renewable energy theme: action to develop a dedicated regional woodfuel network and co-ordination resource and "demonstration installations for Combined Heat and Power systems."

Suffolk County Council initiated the installation of a fully automated woodfuel plant in a newly built school using woodchip supplied by Eastern Woodfuels Ltd. and delivered by blower lorry. SCC commissioned 6 such boilers across the county. The cost of heating has already been significantly reduced – the capital investment will have been written off by the savings within a very few years.

The key lesson from this project was that not only is biomass cost effective but that it takes an enthusiastic council official coupled to a risk-ready commercial operation to make a winning combination.

Gary Battell, SCC Woodland Officer