Partner Article

NE leads heated debate on fuel

A major new initiative to encourage the region’s businesses to take up wood heat as a more viable option to traditional heating methods was announced yesterday. The initiative also aims to highlight the region’s capacity to lead the way as one of the UK’s primary providers of renewable energy.

Experts from around the region were invited by One NorthEast and not-for-profit organisation NEWHeat (North East Wood Heat) to hold a ‘Heated Debate’ - a discussion on the economic and environmental issues around wood heat as a serious alternative to fossil fuels and other renewable energy sources.

NEWHeat’s Neil Harrison said: “Wood heat utilises a crop of carefully harvested trees from the region’s managed forests and turns this into wood chip, which can then be used as a clean and efficient fuel for modern heating systems, whether a direct replacement for an existing system or from the outset as part of architects plans for a new building. “It’s important for businesses not feel like they are being forced into a corner on the issue of renewable energy and more that we’re here offer impartial advice that this may be an option for their company and we can sit down and work out how much they would save and over how long.”

Liz Smith, Assistant Regional Director CBI North East said: “Innovations in new and renewable energy – including projects like this – are vital in tackling climate change. The North East has expertise in energy and environmental sectors and the challenges of climate change bring with them new opportunities. The wood heat project offers new opportunities for businesses in the North East to cut their energy costs, along with their carbon emissions.”

For more information about NEWHeat, visit newheat.org.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .