Wood waste for biofuel
18-APR-2008
A new report from the UK's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has shown that around 10 million tonnes of waste wood that could be used to create energy is being landfilled. Environment Minister Joan Ruddock warned that the huge potential of reusing waste wood as fuel is being wasted. The significant carbon and energy benefits of recovering energy from waste wood are detailed in Wood waste as a biomass fuel, which surveys the activities of producers, aggregators and users of waste wood.
Joan Ruddock, Minister for Climate Change and Waste, said: 'It has been estimated that recovering energy from 2 million tonnes of waste wood could generate 2600 GWh electricity and save 1.15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, with greater benefits available by recovering heat as well as power. This is a huge potential resource that is being wasted.'
With the majority of waste wood arisings being contaminated, the key to realising this potential is more geographically dispersed, Waste Incineration Directive-compliant combustion facilities delivering both energy and heat recovery.
At the same time Defra has announced a new £4 million fund to support the installation of biomass-fuelled heating and combined heat & power projects, including anaerobic digesters.
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