Forest energy is one of the main areas to benefit from the latest grant assistance under the COFORD Research Programme.
Announcing the €3m of grants, Ireland’s minister for agriculture, fisheries and food, Sean Connick, said he was pleased that three research projects relating to forest energy were selected.
“This is an area of particular interest due to the environmental advantages of forest-derived fuels, the increasing cost of fossil fuels, and the opportunity for forest owners to develop wood fuel, a traditional forest product, in a way that will contribute to meeting the energy needs of modern society,” said Mr Connick.
The three projects are: forest energy 2010-13; the supply of woodchip from forest plantations for a major heat user; and ecotoxicological and growth-promoting properties of wood ash.
Other projects to receive grants are research on riparian woodland; broadleaf silviculture; and low impact silvicultural systems.
Mr Connick said the projects should produce benefits not only for producers but also for the wider rural community. They would also contribute to improved collaboration between various research institutions and to the establishment of critical mass in certain research areas.
