Woodfuel Initiative

Delivery Body: Surrey County Council

Theme: Business Support

Coast to Capital LGF Allocation: £625k

Match Funding Contribution: £1m

Project Status: Delivering

 

Summary of Project

Government tasked Forestry Commission England to create a 'woodfuel' strategy for the purpose of recommending interventions that will support its target of bringing an additional 2 million tonnes (Mt) to market annually by 2020. These interventions included capital investment, outreach and raising awareness, conserving the woodland resource and creating economic opportunities, and led to Coast to Capital investing Local Growth Funding to the Woodfueld Grant Scheme.

 

Wood processing is required for building much needed new homes and commercial space and without making the best use of the UK's natural resources, required materials would need to be imported from abroad. Carefully managed woodland is integral to meeting supply without having a detrimental effect on the environment by locking in carbon and ensuring that enough new trees are planted each year to replace what is used and future proof the industry. As well as important environmental factors new technology has allowed companies to efficiently utilise the wood and prevent waste throughout processing by making use of all forms, with chips being used in place of fossil fuels and sawdust can be used for animal bedding.

 

This new technology not only is more efficient and supports the protection of natural capital, but vastly improves health & safety and requires a higher set of skills which has become newly available in the way of apprenticeships.

 

Key Outputs

• 12 jobs
• 16 enterprises receiving grant support