There are countless permutations for spacing different energy crops in order to get the best results. The distances between plants and the stocking density choosen depends on a number of factors: The energy crop involved The rotation length over which it will be harvested Whether the crop will be harvested mechanically or manually Ease of […]

Last week the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) published a much heralded report called: Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK. On the face of it it looks like really good news for the perennial energy crops sector. The CCC are encouraging the expansion of the land area under crops such as Miscanthus, Short […]

Since I wrote the SRC variety guide back in 2012 some new information has come to light. I always hoped that I would be commissioned to do a follow up but this hasn’t been the case. As people are always asking me about site specific information and different applications of the varieties I have decided […]

I am losing count of the number of queries we get from small holders all of whom have a small patch of land and want to grow their own firewood. I seem to be writing the same email again and again and have decided it’s time to commit this information to a blog. Let’s consider […]

Leaders from the biomass heat industry including the Wood Heat Association (WHA) and UK Pellet Council (UKPC), who coordinate the Biomass Heat Works! campaign, are urging political parties to recognise the importance of having strong heat decarbonisation polices within their election manifestoes. Heat accounts for over a third of UK greenhouse gas emissions. The installation […]

Western Bioenergy Fuels (WBEF) is a biomass power station  based in Port Talbot, Wales. The WBEF plant requires 155,000 tonnes of biomass fuel per year. In the year 2017/18 fuel sources included the following: Virgin wood Miscellaneous woodchips Waste wood Brash bales The market for biomass fuels is very competitive and WBEF is interested in […]

Do you know you can grow poplar and willow in conjunction with organic free range poultry? This is a perfect agroforestry integration with the following benefits: Chicken welfare The trees provide shelter and safety Chickens are more likely to roam which is really good for their welfare and stress levels When in the safety of […]

185 years ago today the old Houses of Parliament burnt down. Was it arson? Was it a terrorist act? A Gunpowder plot perhaps? Or even too much hot air created by a particularly tetchy exchange at the dispatch box? No, as with most accidents there’s a far more straightforward explanation. It was simply a case […]

We are delighted to announce that our colleagues at Miscanthus Nursery Ltd will be holding a series of open/demonstration days in October and November. They are seeking new miscanthus growers in the South West to provide material for premier equine and livestock bedding and biomass fuel markets. The events are by prior booking only and […]

There has been much press coverage recently of the Theresa May’s announcement that the UK is dedicated to achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. As a small country this action itself will not alter the onset of climate change but as we were the pioneers of the industrial revolution it sets the right example […]