The public sector is making slow progress, compared with the decision-makers in the north-east and south-west, on developing the sourcing and supply of wood fuel, said Nick Sandford.
Mr Sandford is Kent land manager of the South East England Development Agency’s farming and rural issues group, resident agent at the Godington Estate near Ashford, Kent, and a member of South East Wood Fuels Ltd.
He said specifiers were also unaware of the opportunities for biomass boilers to heat buildings or supply large district heating systems in homes and business parks of the future.
“There are some 700 biomass boilers nationwide yet only around 20 in the south-east. The quality and reliability of equipment is not an issue, but the requirements of fuel production and delivery are,” he said.
Woodland covers 14% of the south-east, but training and supervision of forestry workers was also necessary to enable easy extraction of timber before chipping and to help produce chips ready to burn.
“The whole industry needs to catch up with businesses selling gas and oil,” Mr Sandford said.
