Organisations are invited to trial new woodfuel boiler

26/05/2010

Organisations across Yorkshire and Humber can trial a wood-powered steam boiler at no capital cost, thanks to the availability of the UK’s first industrial-scale demonstration boiler, funded by CO2Sense Yorkshire.

With rising energy costs, woodfuel offers a sustainable, secure and cost competitive alternative to fossil fuels, helps to meet obligations such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment, and qualifies for payments under the forthcoming Renewable Heat Incentive.

Testing of the new boiler, which produces steam from wood pellet fuel, has just completed.. Organisations are now being invited to lease the boiler, giving them an opportunity to gain hands-on experience of and confidence in the technology.

Produced by Byworth Boilers of Keighley, the two megawatt boiler was commissioned by CO2Sense to allow organisations to trial woodfuel technology without the need for up front capital outlay. The £300,000 commission was provided by the CO2Sense Woodfuel Programme, which promotes the supply and use of wood as a sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel, in Yorkshire and the Humber. CO2Sense is a business support and market development programme funded by Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund.

“Two key barriers to the uptake of wood burning boilers are the high capital cost for purchase combined with a lack of familiarity and experience with the technology,” said Woodfuel Programme manager Gordon Watts. “With woodfuel boilers being a relatively new and unknown technology, many, organisations are understandably reticent to invest in a large capital outlay without prior experience.”

The boiler, available for lease for up to six months by organisations within the region, has been built into a purpose built container as a mobile unit, making it easy to install on site. Organisations that the boiler is expected to suit include those with a high and steady steam demand such as hospitals, swimming pools and certain industrial processes.

Gordon Watts added: “This boiler is a great way for organisations to see the benefits of woodfuel themselves, to gain confidence in the technology and to help them make the jump to installing a boiler of their own.”

Organisations interested in the ‘try before you buy’ scheme can contact Mark Gregory at CO2Sense on 0113 237 8469 for further information.

CO2Sense Yorkshire

  • CO2Sense Yorkshire is a not-for-profit business development programme, which helps businesses in Yorkshire and Humber to succeed in the low-carbon economy
  • It is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward
  • It is funded by Yorkshire Forward and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

It has four programmes:

  • Resource Efficiency, which helps businesses to use fewer resources and helps businesses in the environmental sector to grow
  • Carbon Reduction, which helps the region’s largest businesses to adapt their business plans to a changing environment and to prosper in the low-carbon environment
  • Renewable Energy, which helps businesses to find sources of low-carbon energy and helps generators of low-carbon energy to sell their energy
  • Carbon Capture and Storage, which encourages industry and investors to develop CCS infrastructure in the region