Recent projects

Project management of energy crop planting at East Midlands Airport

This project followed the completion of a feasibility study looking at the potential of growing energy crops on land owned by East Midlands Airport. Crops for Energy is project managing the planting of 29 hectares of willow over three years. The fuel produced will ultimately be used in a biomass boiler providing heating to the terminal building.

Bioheat Site Assessor Training Modules

On behalf of Regen SW, Crops for Energy produced an online interactive training package that teaches the basics of biomass wood fuel systems. There are seven training modules that include Woodfuel types and supply; Boiler systems; Overall system design and installation; Operations and maintenance; Planning and permissions; Procurement, contracting and project management; and Economic appraisal/business case.

The training aims to produce a more informed end user/customer who is able to understand the key overall system design and specification features. It does not replace the need for professional design, installation and consultancy, but is an enabler for potential customers to research and explore options for successful system installation. The training is available on the South West Woodshed website.

Woodfuel supply and demand in Dorset

Crops for Energy and the Centre for Sustainable Energy were commissioned by Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty  (AONB) to look at the potential woodfuel resource from sustainable management of woodlands, arboricultural arisings, heathland management and energy crops. This was compared with future demand for woodfuel up until 2026 from a variety of end users including new housing, schools, estates, elderly peoples’ homes and farms. The report can be downloaded from this link.

Energy crops feasibility studies

In 2009 Crops for Energy were commissioned by East Midlands Airport (EMA) to investigate the potential of growing and using woodfuel from a variety of energy crops on 62.5 hectares of mixed farmland surrounding the airport. The report looked at the potential for growing short rotation coppice, miscanthus, short rotation forestry and broadleaved coppice on the EMA farm. A similar study was carried out on behalf of Bristol City Council in 2007. This looked at the potential of growing short rotation coppice on three tenant farms in Avonmouth comprising a total area of 75 hectares.

Westwoods producer group

 Westwoods is a woodfuel producer group which covers the West of England sub region. The aim of this initiative is to strengthen woodfuel supply infrastructure through providing a brokering service between woodfuel suppliers and end users and promoting best practice to wood fuel suppliers by creating woodfuel quality standards. Kevin Lindegaard has been involved with this project from the start having written the successful funding bid to the Bioenergy Infrastructure Scheme worth £120,000. He is currently the Woodfuel Contracts Manager for the project. For more information visit the Westwoods website

Co-ordinated Woodfuel Initiative

The CWI was a regional programme managed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy which ran from 2006-2008. The service offered telephone advice and site visits to householders, farmers, community groups and businesses interested in installing a biomass boiler. Kevin Lindegaard of Crops for Energy was one of 12 expert advisors who took part in site visits and feasibility studies of biomass energy options. The nine properties reported on by Kevin ranged from a four bedroom house to a 60 room stately home.

 

Biomass boiler feasibility studies

In 2009 Crops for Energy investigated the potential for installing biomass boilers and solar water heating at five elderly peoples’ homes managed by Bristol City Council. The mini-feasibility studies suggested that two of the sites would be ideal for biomass installations. These sites and three primary schools identified by a similar study in 2008 were brought together in an application for grant funding from Round 5 of the Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme administered by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The bid was successful and awarded a grant of £256,135.

 

Renewable Energy for Farms

Crops for Energy organised and chaired four renewable energy seminars in Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Dorset on behalf of Business Link. The events, funded by the Farm Business Advice Service were attended by 160 farmers and focused on wind energy, biomass, anaerobic digestion, micro renewables and biodiesel production.

 

Energy crops course

Crops for Energy were commissioned by LANTRA Awards to produce a two day accredited course on energy crops. The course is highly interactive and covers all aspects of energy crop growing, processing, supply and end use. Energy crops covered include short rotation coppice (SRC) willow, miscanthus and other energy grasses, broadleaved coppice and short rotation forestry (SRF). It is of particular interest to farmers, estate owners and organisations with farm holdings. The course involves group exercises, flipchart exercises, a crop walk and worksheet, a visit to a biomass boiler and concludes with a short exam. Kevin Lindegaard of Crops for Energy acts as a Technical Standards Verifier for Lantra Awards making sure that the quality of the course and instructors remains at a high level.

 

Bioenergy: Environmental Impact and Best Practice

Kevin Lindegaard of Crops for Energy acted as an expert advisor to Landuse Consultants in evaluating a study commissioned by Wildlife and Countryside Link looking at the potential environmental impacts of increased bioenergy production and use in the UK. You can read the report at the following link.

 

Anaerobic digestion

On behalf of Wessex Grain, Crops for Energy provided an independent evaluation of the technical data presented for the Lowbrook anaerobic digestion plant as part of the application process for funding from Round 4 of the Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme.

 

Woodfuel case studies

On behalf of the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Crops for Energy produced a number of in depth case studies for Mendip Hills AONB and Cranborne Chase and West Wilts Downs AONB. These include:

 

 

 

Woodfuel seminars

Kevin Lindegaard made presentations at woodfuel open days at Fernhill Farm in Mendip for Mendip Hills AONB and Blaise Nursery in Bristol for the Forest of Avon.