28 June 2011

Millions of tonnes of wood being wasted every year
At least two million tonnes of unused woodfuel supplies a year could be used to heat rural schools, businesses and other buildings, the Forestry Commission has said.

Tapping into the extra wood supplies for fuel in England could help create green growth, improve woodlands and help reduce greenhouse gases, the Commission said.

Woodchip boilers in hundreds of mid-size buildings such as schools, blocks of flats or social housing, hospitals and smaller businesses could use fuel from local woodlands.

It could particularly benefit areas which are not on the gas grid and rely on oil for heating, reducing the costs of energy and their carbon emissions.

The Forestry Commission estimates that by 2020, an extra two million tonnes a year of woodfuel could be used for heating buildings in England.

Currently across the UK as a whole less than 1.5 million tonnes of home-grown wood is used as fuel.

Overall, the Forestry Commission estimates that the woodfuel industry could generate 1 billion and support more than 15,000 jobs in the UK.

It could also improve the management of English woodlands, around half of which are currently under-managed, as trees in dense woods are thinned to produce the fuel, opening up the forest which benefits wildlife.

Launching the Forestry Commission's woodfuel implementation plan at an event in Manchester, chairwoman Pam Warhurst, said: "Win, win, win is a phrase often wheeled out yet it is not always convincing. But for woodfuel it is absolutely true.

"Sustainably grown and locally used woodfuel is good for rural businesses, improves woodland health and wildlife and cuts climate change emissions.

"According to our figures about half of the woodland in England is under-managed. This means there is a great deal of wood, at least two million tonnes a year, that could be used for woodfuel and it is just sitting there as woodlands slowly suffer.

"This could supply enough energy to heat the equivalent of 800 hospitals or 3,000 schools and save 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year, roughly the emissions from three million barrels of crude oil.

"At today's prices the woodfuel alone could be worth around 120 million."

Woodfuel boilers will attract benefits from the Renewable Heat Incentive, which will pay people for the heat they generate from green sources, while the Forestry Commission said it will have a 10 million grant scheme which will support the sustainable production of woodfuel.

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