PDF (58KB)

After several quiet years, wood fuel is suddenly back on the local agenda and could be set to take off in a big way.Oxfordshire County Council are leading the way in the Thames Region, looking for opportunities to install wood-fired space heating as part of their scheduled boiler replacement programme. They have identified a trial site and, subject to performance assessments, several similar installations should be up and running in the next few years.

Wood fuel will come from a number of sources. In the long term, and if the market grows as expected, the majority is likely to come from contract grown, short rotation coppice. In the shorter term, the main sources are likely to be waste from woodlands and tree surgery - Oxfordshire could already supply enough wood from these sources to replace 40,000 tonnes of fossil fuels each year. Many grain dryers can be used for drying wood chips without modification and there must be many grain dryers in Oxfordshire with Surplus capacity.

Reduction of wood going into landfill.

Savings in fossil fuel consumption; helping to improve greenhouse gases balance;

Creation of new work, processing fuel on local farms, using existing facilities.

Possible new markets for low value wood, thus improving woodland management prospects, benefiting landscape and wildlife.

Possible creation of demand for contract grown, short rotation coppice, providing new enterprises for farmers.

PDF (58KB)