Latest News
8th December 2009
Forest Fuels Ltd helps Cornwall NHS Trust reduce carbon footprint.
Forest Fuels Ltd, the leading wood fuel supply company in the South West is working with the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, Treliske to reduce its C02 levels by 1,200 tonnes a year.
A new wood chip boiler has been installed at the Royal Cornwall Hospital and is running alongside the existing gas boilers. An opening event for the boiler is taking place at the Truro site on Thursday 10th December.
The biomass boiler will operate all year round and is capable of providing the entire Truro site’s summer heating and hot water requirements and a significant part of the winter heating load.
Forest Fuels Ltd based in Shebbear, Devon has entered into a long term contract to supply the hospital wood chip for the boiler from it’s depot near Mitchell on the A30.
Sam Whatmore the Director of Forest Fuels said: “I have been assisting with the design and development of this project from the very early stages. It’s great to see a boiler of this size starting up in Cornwall and using locally produced wood chip rather than fossil fuels”
Forest Fuels always supplies its fuel through localised depots such as the one at Mitchell. It is from here that wood is brought in from local woodlands and sawmills. A large mobile chipper then visits the site to process the material to the specification required of the boilers. Forest Fuels then delivers four lorry loads of wood chip the 10 miles to the Royal Cornwall Hospital every week.
Will Frost of Forest Fuels describes: “This system keeps the fuel supply operation local whilst being administered from the Forest Fuels offices in Devon. This enables the woodchip to have low fuel-miles, therefore minimising the carbon footprint of fuel supply whilst also ensuring both local employment in the loading & delivery part of the process and most importantly this can help secure improved forestry management in the locality.”
Mark Summers, Head of the Low Carbon Programme for the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust agrees, saying: “We have seen this project as a major contributor to the development of the local biomass market. Because of our involvement in biomass, we have enabled local suppliers to gear up and stimulate the development of the local wood fuel market.”
The project has received support and guidance throughout from RegenSW, and Forest Fuels Ltd who assisted in the delivery of the South West Bio-Heat Programme.
Sam Whatmore Director of Forest Fuels said: “This exciting project is the start of growth in modern wood heating in the South West. Forest Fuels is supporting this growth by providing a sustainable, high quality and reliable wood fuel supply service across the South West as well as providing advice and guidance for many more projects in development.”
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