Yorkshire and the Humber is leading the way in using home-grown bio-energy according to new figures from Forestry Commission England.

The region has the most biomass heat boilers in England, with 290 installations out of the 1,960 identified in the survey – 45 more than last year. These boilers are also some of the most powerful in the country, capable of generating 25 per cent of England’s biomass boiler heat.

The Forestry Commission is supporting the use of carbon-lean biomass through its woodfuel strategy, which aims to develop this growing market.

Rudie Humphrey, its Yorkshire and the Humber woodfuel officer, is working to bring undermanaged woods back into fuel production to supply the increasing number of woodfuel boilers.

He said:

“Locally-grown woodfuel is a carbon-lean alternative to fossil fuels and will help the environment locally and globally.

“The Forestry Commission is supporting the production and supply of woodfuel, as it is good news for both people and wildlife.

“Producing woodfuel through good woodland management improves biodiversity by creating new habitats for wildlife. It also creates jobs in forestry, haulage and woodfuel supply.”

The Forestry Commission is also encouraging businesses and organisations to consider installing woodfuel boilers and hosting two, free regional workshops, in conjunction with AEA Technology, this month. These will help organisations making grant bids under the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme, Round Six. These will be held at Keighley Furniture Project on January 18th and Dalby Forest Visitor Centre on January 19th.

Rudie explained that Yorkshire & the Humber had 92,082 hectares of woodland, which covers about six per cent of the region. The Forestry Commission managed more than 21,000 hectares, and of the remainder, about half was undermanaged.

“By bringing these woodlands back into management, 150,000 oven-dried tonnes of biomass could be created for local energy use.”

And Rudie added:

“Woodfuel boilers are suitable for a whole range of larger, commercial and community buildings, such as those at Farmer Copley’s Farm Shop in Pontefract, Gayle Mill in Hawes and our own Dalby Visitor Centre. “We want more people to consider this locally-grown, traditional fuel as a future energy-source.”