Sustainable Heating Solutions

Woodland management

Wood from well-managed woodlands provides a renewable source of fuel as well as giving woodland owners an incentive to manage their land productively, thereby improving conditions for wildlife. These conditions don’t come about by accident though – woodlands require careful management in order to maximise their financial and environmental potential.

40% of the land area of the north east of England is owned by small estates and nearly all of those have an under-managed woodland asset. Timber prices are cyclical and now that power stations are co-firing there always a home for woody biomass material, although not necessarily at a premium price.

However, to use material on site or within a 10 mile radius to replace oil or gas as a fuel source provides a very different set of economics, and for most rural businesses space is available to store woodfuels for a biomass boiler installation.

Sustainable Heating Solutions Limited is based at Lee Moor Farm, having been established by Ian Brown, Lee Moor’s tenant farmer, in 2005. Lee Moor was awarded the status of ‘Forestry Authority Centre of Excellence’ in the same year that Ian carried out the first carbon footprint exercise on his business in 1995.

The Brown family have managed Lee Moor Farm for Northumberland Estates for several generations, and since 1989 have been planting woodlands to supplement the existing mixed plantations which were established on the boggy areas of the farm in the 1950's and 1960's. In 2002 an area of 6Ha of willow energy crops and 9Ha of fast growing poplar under the farm woodland premium scheme were planted with woodfuel in mind. The willow is harvested every three years and the poplar thinned by 50% every seven years. Both crops should be in for some 25 years.

With all predictions for fossil fuel prices being upwards over the medium to long term it is clearly in everybody's interest to look at collaboration around the woodfuel supply chain. In order to make this happen Sustainable Heating Solutions is working with its sister company Northumbrian Woodfuels to provide heat or fuel as required. In order for woodland managers to be confident of providing their own fuel on a long term and sustainable business we have come to a contractual agreement for Roger Smith Bsc(For) MICFor to write woodland appraisals that will clearly show the tonnage of wood available, and the income which could be derived from it if managed for woodfuel production. Northumbrian Woodfuels can help in the marketing and distribution of woodfuels within our local area.