The Ignition 09 wood energy exhibition said it hit its attendance target, with 1,100 visitors over the two days of the event.
Held at the The Sage Gateshead, the show had 50 exhibitors, including commercial and domestic wood-burning heat and power technology manufacturers and wood fuel suppliers.
All the exhibitors TTJ spoke to reported a growing market trend to wood fuel. Peter Young of Mercia Energy, which supplies large-scale biomass boilers to public buildings, said his company’s business had doubled annually since launching four years ago.
“The two drivers are local authorities’ need to meet CO2 reduction targets and the potential cost savings of wood energy,” he said.
Keynote speaker at the show’s “Heated Debate” event was UK Sustainable Development Commission chairman Jonathon Porritt who said “more and more people are waking up to the value of biomass”.
“This has the potential to become a huge industry, but for this to happen it’s vitally important to provide easy access to current information on whether wood heat is a viable option for their business in the future [so] Ignition 09 is a fantastic new opportunity,” he said. “There’s a lot of dynamism around the industry and as much smart technology and innovation as in any other part of the energy scene.”
