Biomass and Biofuels Opportunities in the North East

Biomass

Biomass is defined as any product which is more than 90% organic matter, it covers wood and wood products, energy crops and straw. Developing a strong biomass industry in the North East will provide real commercial opportunities and have a positive impact on the environment. The economic potential of biomass, especially its impact on a long-suffering rural economy, has been recognised by the Government through the recent Biomass Task Force report .

In the North East biomass is being taken forward by a number of organisations and businesses, including those forming the Biomass Implementation Group (BIG), a network of over 50 businesses and organisations.

The region's biomass industry is increasing in size; currently there are about 25 sites using biomass that have an installed capacity of over 3.5MWth (this is equal to the power used to heat roughly 1000 homes). The sites range from small scale facilities such as a community centre to large scale power production.

One NorthEast has invested in a market development service to improve the uptake of biomass heating technology. The New Heat project provides both free and subsidised technical support for businesses interested in using biomass. To watch the video please click here.

For more information on biomass in the North East, see www.rdpenortheast.co.uk

Biofuels

High energy crops such as rape, wheat, barley, myscanthus (bamboo-like grass) and sugar beet can be processed into bio-fuels for transportation applications.  All these products can be grown in the UK.

The Regional Strategy for Transport Biofuels sets out the strategic direction and vision for the region that is to become "An internationally significant biofuels hub". Biofuels have an important role to play in the economic development of the region, over the next 20years it is estimated that they could be worth £1billion to the region.

For more information please visit the website of the regional industry cluster group North East Biofuels.