Council may use use wood for heat

A council is looking at burning wood fuel in its buildings in an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint.

Wakefield Council is considering whether to develop a sustainable source of local wood fuel for its offices, schools and other buildings.

Members of the authority’s Cabinet committee will be asked to recommend that officers investigate the proposals further to see what changes might be possible.

It is proposed that the fuel would be produced by both the collection of waste wood, such as that trimmed from trees along roads and in parks and other council properties, and the sustainable management of the district’s forests and trees.

A report to be considered by members of the council’s Cabinet next week says: “This report explores the possibility of replacing the burning of fossil fuels for the heating of some buildings, with ‘biomass’, and specifically the burning of wood chip, which is regarded as ‘carbon lean’, and which is treated as zero carbon by the Government for performance and taxation purposes.

“The use of natural gas at Town Hall and County Hall emits around 1,300 tonnes of carbon and costs around 100k annually.

“This represents around two per cent of the council’s total carbon footprint.

“In the corporate plan we are committed to reducing the footprint by two per cent in each of 09/10, 10/11 and 11/12, and 10 per cent in 12/13.”

The Wakefield district contains several ancient forests including: Newmillerdam, Notton Wood, Seckar Wood and Haw Park Wood. Currently Haw Park Wood produces 1,000 tonnes a year, which the report says is easily sustainable.

In addition, the council is also responsible for many areas of younger woodland which were created when former mining land was reclaimed. These can give a sustainable yield of 443 tonnes per year.

The report to members adds: “The process of managing our forests sustainably currently produces 1,000 tonnes of wood which is suitable for chipping. It is perfectly possible to raise this amount in line with rises in wider demand for wood fuel without compromising our woodlands.

“This will largely be achieved by coppicing, considered the most sustainable method of harvesting wood in the long term.”

Councillors will also be told that it is intended to increase the district’s woodland cover and secure future wood fuel supplies.

The report says that a depot would need to be built to dry any felled timber, chip it and then store it until needed.

A proposal is being developed to convert the boiler house at county hall to contain a biomass boiler, a fuel delivery system and back up gas boilers – although the detail is still being worked out.

This system has been designed to provide fuel for the authority’s new civic offices, town hall and county hall.

Pipes running under county hall would extend via ducting under Cliff Parade and Burton Street to heat exchangers in town and county halls. The proposal would require around 2,000 tonnes each year.

If the local authority does not reduce its carbon footprint by required targets it could be fined. Performance results will be published and local authorities will appear in a national league table.

The report concludes: “Burning biomass will result in significant reductions in the council’s use of natural gas, resulting in, lower carbon dioxide emissions, cost savings.....”

If members give the proposals the green light officers will look at the feasibility and costs of the project in more detail.