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Wood Can Have a Growing Role in Provision of Renewable Energy

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 06:00 CDT

Northumberland County Council is at the forefront of initiatives in the region to promote the use of wood as a fuel source. The county council leads the Northumberland Renewable Energy Group ( a private and public sector partnership looking to drive forward renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The South-East Northumberland Woodfuel Study aims to bring renewable energy to the public sector. South-East Northumberland contains significant areas of woodlands and other timber resources. At the same time, a number of public buildings have high heat demands. A recent study by Northwoods, commissioned by NSP, aims to meet this demand with supply. There is potential for many public buildings in South-East Northumberland to be heated from locally sourced, sustainable and carbon neutral energy sources which create local employment and shorten fuel supply lines.

NREG, working with partners, is developing a comprehensive training course aimed at developing the skills necessary to supply, install and maintain woodfuel heating plans. This will build upon existing courses to deliver NVQ Level 2 and 3 and will be based at Northumberland College.

The Lee Moor Business Centre, near Alnwick, Northumberland, uses an 80-kilowatt woodchip fired boiler to heat and supply hot water to several workshops, offices, a bakery, two farmhouses and a training centre.

At the moment the boiler is fuelled by wood chip from forestry material but owner Ian Brown planted six hectares of short rotation coppice under the Energy Crops Scheme in 2002 so he will soon have his own fuel supply. The ash produced is used on the farm and gardens as fertiliser. Ian had support from the European LEADER and ALTENER programmes in developing the heating system. The Kielder District Heating Scheme is providing sustainable energy in the heart of Northumberland.

Kielder, a village with about 200 residents, with its petrol station, village shop and pub, is already an oasis for cyclists, walkers and other visitors.

Locally grown wood is chipped and stored by Forest Enterprise at a specially designed fuel store in the village, replenished about three to four times a year.

The wood chip fuel is delivered to the boiler house and hot water is piped to surrounding buildings, where heat exchangers transfer the energy into domestic central heating and hot water systems. With the help of Tynedale Council and Forest Enterprise, Kielder Community Enterprise Ltd has taken on the role of an energy supply company or "ESCO", to manage the scheme on behalf of the community.

The scheme supplies heat and hot water to Kielder Castle Visitor Centre, six new three-bedroom homes, six workshops, Kielder Community First School and Kielder Youth Hostel.

This project forms part of the Tynedale Renewable Energy Trail ( for further details go to www.tynedalerenewableenergy.org.uk Further information on woodfuel and other forms of renewable energy can be viewed at www.northumberlandenergy.co.uk

Source: The Journal - Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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