Kevin Lindegaard’s nomination for the Wood Heat Association board of directors
Kevin Lindegaard of Crops for Energy has thrown his hat into the ring to be nominated onto the board of directors for the Wood Heat Association (WHA). Kevin is hoping to become the non-wood fuel biomass heating member but if elected will bring experience of all forms of woody and non-woody biomass to the WHA. The deadline for nomination was the 12th January 2015 and the online vote by members of the WHA and Renewable Energy Association’s Biomass Heat Group will be on the 27th January. Kevin hopes he can count on your vote!*****LATEST NEWS: Kevin was elected on to the board on the 28th January*****
Kevin’ nomination in full:
I would like to be considered as the non-woodfuel biomass heating member for the WHA board. I have been involved in the energy crops and
Kevin Lindegaard
biomass sector for 19 years and my remit covers miscanthus, short rotation coppice (SRC) and short rotation forestry (SRF) as well as general biomass.
My career background involves 7 years at Long Ashton Research Station as the SRC willow breeder and 3 years at Dorset County Council as their Renewable Energy Development Officer. Other posts include spells with the Swedish company Lantmannen Agroenergi and its UK offshoot Renewable Fuels as well as the Centre of Sustainable Energy. Crops for Energy was set up in 2004 and became a limited company in 2011. The company provides balanced, authoritative, and independent consultancy support and project management services.
I am recognised nationally and internationally as an energy crops expert. For instance, I was commissioned by Lantra Awards to produce a 2 day accredited energy cropscourse. In recent years we have been particularly active in policy issues through:
- The EU funded Rokwood project (see our SRC policy briefs produced as part of this project)
- Our involvement with the Energy Technologies Institute’s Enabling Biomass Programme (we inputted to their CAP reform consultation response, performed a detailed questionnaire of 110 energy crop growers and produced a briefing note on why miscanthus should be on the BSL).
- Along with the Farm Energy Centre we are currently looking to set up an industry led BSL for non-woody biomass
- We have produced various publications off our own back such as: Why we need energy crops in the South West; Why we need an Energy Crops Scheme 3; and CAP reform consultation response on behalf of a coalition of organisations representing the SRC industry.
I am frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences (See for instance presentations at the LogistEC seminar in Brussels and at the Supergen Annual Assembly).
Through our analytical work we have an excellent understanding of the performance of Government bioenergy schemes. By being on the board of the WHA I would strive to ensure that the energy crops and non-woody biomass sector is no longer the recipient of poorly thought through policy but instead considered as key components at the front end of new Government initiatives on biomass heating. I believe that my candidacy would be widely supported by the UK energy crops and non-woody biomass industry.