The local biomass industry has received a big boost with the launch of Staffordshire Wood Fuel, a trading arm of Staffordshire County Council. The new wood fuel supply operation, run by forestry manager James Cartwright, will source supplies from the county’s own woodlands and heathlands, as a result of management operations that are required to maintain their biodiversity value. This will ensure a sustainable supply of fuel into the future. This work was previously funded through council tax but in future it will be covered by the revenue generated by the wood fuel supply operation.
The system works by gathering felled trees from the council’s managed woodland and heathland – mainly on Cannock Chase – and storing them for at least 18 months to ensure that they are dry enough to burn before being processed through a large chipper. The wood is already fuelling an innovative district heating scheme at the council’s Cannock Chase Visitor Centre, making use of a small part of the 1000 tonnes of wood chips that are harvested sustainably every year. In future the company will also supply the Council's new Tipping Street offices in Stafford.
Aiming to serve both the public and private sectors, Staffordshire Wood Fuel's arrival will help the biomass fuel market in the Midlands to expand, generating more green jobs and a sustainable economy going forward. The company will also offer impartial advice on biomass system design, fuel specification and fuel handling.
For more information about the company call James Cartwright at Staffordshire Wood Fuel on 01785 277253 or 07791 881923 or visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk/woodfuel.