1.1 million biomass plant opens in Gloucestershire

The facility, which was officially opened last week (April 19), will treat the 2,350 tonnes of waste wood extracted chipboard dust and residual off-cuts – created by the Groups subsidiary Premiere Kitchens. Previously the majority of the waste wood was sent to landfill.

The biomass facility will create enough heating and hot water to meet the needs of the Markey Groups 8.5 acre site at Hardwicke, Gloucestershire.

Commenting on the facility, Paul Markey, group director, said: We take our environmental responsibilities seriously and were always striving to think and work greener. Our new biomass facility has a key role to play in reducing our carbon footprint and its exciting to think that were helping boost Gloucestershires green credentials by generating our own eco-friendly energy.

Since installing the facility the Markey Group has said it been able to remove its mains gas supply, which the company anticipates will result in carbon emission savings of more than 1,020 tonnes a year.

Mr Markey added: As a business were committed to sustainable solutions and we hope others can benefit from our expertise. Who knows, in future we may even be able to generate enough green energy to power our surrounding community.

FIRA

The facility was opened by Dr Asli Tamer Vestlund, deputy technical manager at the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA).

Dr Tamer Vestlund said: It was an honour to be involved in the opening of Markeys Group biomass facility and they should be commended for their efforts to reduce their environmental impact.

FIRA has previously voiced its opinion that the biomass to energy industry should focus on burning waste wood rather than virgin timber (see letsrecycle.com story) and has also said that its supports small scale power generation through biomass.

Technology

The Hardwicke facility was commissioned by UK-based Indusvent Limited, supplier of dust extraction systems, and features a 2.1 megawatt hot water boiler which was manufactured by Justsen Energiteknik A/S, Danish manufacturer of incineration technology. The boiler was designed so it could be integrated with Markeys existing extraction and waste handling systems.

Markey said that burning of the waste wood is automatically controlled to maximise efficiency and results and is monitored both on site in Gloucestershire and at the manufacturers premises in Denmark.