The BioRegional Development Group’s model TreeStation, which converts up to 10,000 tonnes of waste wood into woodchip a year, is a finalist in the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy.
The awards recognise innovative projects which tackle climate change and improve quality of life by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency at a local level.
BioRegional’s TreeStation, the first of its kind in the UK, converts tree waste from parks, streets and woodlands into fuel for the nearby Slough Heat and Power Station.
A new chipper has allowed production to increase from 4,000 tonnes of wood chip a year to 10,000 tonnes.
The TreeStation saves the local council around £20,000 in waste disposal costs, while five local building developments have opted to have renewable energy facilities because of their confidence in a secure biomass supply.
The next stage of TreeStation development will be to transfer the concept to smaller heating boilers, with an annual production capacity of 4,700 tonnes of woodchip, in the local area.
