Biomass
Nationally Defra set up a Biomass Task Force to investigate the opportunities for biomass use in the UK. The Task Force launched a new one-year biomass study on 15 October 2004 to help the Government and the industry develop biomass energy in support of renewable energy targets and sustainable farming and forestry and rural objectives. The final report was published on 25 October 2005.
The report put forward a number of recommendations and overall concluded that biomass – in its diverse forms – has the potential for contributing strongly to the UK's renewable energy and climate change objectives, and that much of this potential is currently unrealised.
In April 2006, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on behalf of both DTI and Defra, published a joint response to the Biomass Task Force Report.
Copies of both reports, and details on the consultation process can be accessed from the defra Biomass Task Force page.
Biomass in the North East
Biomass Implementation Group
The Biomass and wood-fuel community in the North East meets through a wide-ranging forum called the Biomass Implementation Group (the BIG). This has a membership of around 60 organisations and individuals involved in developing the biomass market and industry in the North East and in progressing Biomass as an efficient and desirable renewable energy. It is recognised that developing a strong biomass industry in the North East will provide real commercial opportunities and have a positive impact on the environment. The economic potential of biomass, especially its impact on the long-suffering rural economy, has been recognised by the Government and European Union and consequently attracted funding that supports the development of biomass projects. The terms of reference of this group can be downloaded below.
The Biomass Impementation Group is chaired by Dr David Maunder of Entec. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in promoting Biomass in the North East. The Group works with a dedicated Biomass Coordinator. This is Chris Maxwell - for contact details, see below. The Biomass project, the BIG and the Coordinator, is sited at the Environmental Industries Federation who provide support and guidance to the biomass sector, and supported by One NorthEast. The BIG have a web site which details biomass installations across the region, organisations involved in the whole biomass chain, and funding available to support biomass activities. Anybody interest in further details can contact Chris Maxwell or visit the BIG website.
Large-scale Biomass installations
Biomass can be used in large scale power generation, for instance it can be used to produce electricity in power plants, e.g. the 30 MW wood-fuelled power plant being built by Sembcorp in Teesside - the Wilton 10 plant - and co-fired in coal- or gas-fired power plants, such as at Alcan in Lynemouth. There is also a large district heating scheme in Kielder using biomass to provide heat to a number of buildings in Kielder Village. This is the subject of a case study within this site.
Wood Fuel Producer Groups
Northwoods in Rothbury were recently successful in their application to Defra’s Bio-Energy Infrastructure Scheme for the establishment of a wood fuel producer group for North East England. The Scheme is designed to help develop the supply chain required to harvest, store and process wood fuel from sustainable forests to energy end users.
Farmers Producer Groups
Power Stations such as the Sembcorp plant in Wilton require locally grown energy crops, such as short rotation coppice. There are a number of farmer producer groups set up to co-ordinate supply and to encourage farmers to grow energy crops.
Wood Management
As well as specifically grown energy crops, the North East also has a large resource in managed forestry, which can provide a sustainable source of wood to support regional biomass activities. The Forestry Commission have a regional office at Rothbury and oversee large areas of woodland in the Region, such as Hamsterley and Kielder Forests. The North East also has two community forests, the Great North Forest and the Tees Forest, which together support renewables through the North East Community Forests (NECF) Renewables and Recyclables Project. Also, private woodland and waste wood provide an additional regional resource.
Skills and Training
Northwoods run training courses in wood fuel, such as the Ignite Programme, which is one of the first wood fuel courses in the country to cover the whole wood fuel business, including the economics of wood fuel supply, the technology that's available to produce wood fuel and the systems that burn it.
See it
There are a number of biomass installations in the region of varying sizes. One of the largest is at Kielder village. This is the subject of a case study which is available on this web site, read on ...
This project also forms one of the installations which can be visited as part of the Renewable Energy Trail in Tynedale . This trail is for walkers and tourists to visit a number of renewable energy installations around Kielder Reservoir, with information boards at each site to explain how the technology works
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