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Northumberland businessman to address Austrian energy conference

A Northumberland industry expert will showcase the performance of the UK’s biomass heat market when he addresses the European Pellet Conference in Wels, Austria next month.

Neil Harrison, co-founder and director of Alnwick-based re:heat, will tell delegates pellet installations have dominated the smaller end of the biomass boiler market thanks to lower equipment costs and the reduced footprint required for projects when compared to other forms of wood fuel.

He will showcase the performance of the UK biomass heat market, where the focus has been on the uptake of pellet heating systems in light of the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme which provides financial incentives for users to switch from carbon-based heating systems to renewable alternatives.

This enables individuals and business to benefit from renewable heating technology with a guaranteed return on investment within a generation.

Delegates will be told that there’s been a rapid deployment of pellet boilers under the scheme introduced in late 2011, leading to a fast maturation of the supply chain.

He will reveal that the number of pellet boilers installed as a proportion of the total number of RHI installed systems now exceeds 12,000 units.

Neil said: “Small scale pellet installations dominate thanks to lower equipment costs and the smaller footprint required for a pellet boiler project when compared to other forms of biomass fuel.

“This is largely a function of the significantly higher energy density of wood pellets when compared to logs and wood chips.”

Neil will be speaking as vice chair of the Wood Heat Association. His domestic and EU experience will provide a valuable insight into the important UK market for the equipment manufacturers, fuel suppliers and researchers attending the EPC.

re:heat is supporting businesses through the RHI scheme, helping them to unlock the potential of the latest biomass energy technologies. This can support growth and expansion through the provision of reliable, low cost and sustainable energy.

“We are now well placed to expand both the business and scope of services we offer to secure our targets, further cementing our reputation for innovation and added value solutions this year and beyond,” added Neil.

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