New research: wood for heating and power in London

Story published 1.01.09

Hot off the press this week, we have produced guidance on using wood residues and wood from arboricultural activities for heat and power in London. The report Biomass for London: wood fuel demand and supply chains was published by London Energy Partnership and jointly written by BioRegional, SE Wood Fuels and Creative Environmental Networks. It is particularly useful for those involved in biomass policy and the supply and demand of wood fuel.

We felt that the study was needed as there is growing demand for wood fuel as a source of renewable heat and power in London due in large part to the planning requirement that 20% carbon emission reductions in larger developments are achieved through on-site renewable sources. The demand is expected to further increase as fossil fuel prices rise and new housing developments move towards the Government’s 2016 zero carbon target.

However until now there has been uncertainty about the availability of fuel for planned and projected installations. To date wood fuel supply infrastructure in London is rudimentary, particularly for wood chip.

This new report assesses the number and capacity of planned wood fuel plant in London and their potential fuel demand. It then examines the potential sources of fuel and makes recommendations for enabling the growth in fuel production from London’s own resources and those near by.

Download the report