Biomass warms Dartmoor Visitors
Visitors to the National Park Visitor Centre in Princetown are now being kept warm by a new biomass boiler, burning Dartmoor wood.
The recently installed 180kW Herz biomass boiler at Dartmoor National Park Authority's High Moorland Office in Princetown provides heat and hot water for the Visitor Centre as well as the offices of the National Park Authority and Duchy of Cornwall. It was installed by the Ashburton based 5D Group.
The wood chips which fuel the boiler are supplied by the Dartmoor Woodfuel Co-operative which is based at Brimpts Farm, Dartmeet. This has the advantage of keeping the carbon footprint associated with transporting the wood chips to a minimum because of the Co-operative's close proximity to Princetown.
The biomass boiler was switched on for the first time on Thursday 21st November, and the old oil fired boilers shutdown. On Friday 22nd November the Duchy of Cornwall's office was connected to the biomass heating system and their old oil boiler removed.
Tom Stratton, representing the Duchy of Cornwall, said:
"The Duchy is delighted with the recent conversion to biomass heating within its Dartmoor Estate office and additionally, the fact that the timber being utilised by the system is being sourced locally on Dartmoor with some being supplied from our own woodlands. The Duchy has been very much involved with the establishment and operation of the Dartmoor Woodfuel Co-operative which seeks to promote the interrelationship between woodland owner, processor and end user at a local level."
David Cosford of 5D Group commented:
"We have really enjoyed working with the Dartmoor National Park and local suppliers to design and install the biomass system of their choice. Not only will they achieve a reduction in their carbon emissions but the scheme will provide significant long term cost savings."
Andy Bradford, Managing Director, Dartmoor Woodfuel Co-operative (DWFC) said:
"The installation of the 180kW wood chip boiler at Princetown is perfect timing for the DWFC, an Industrial Provident Society (non profit making) which was setup by local boiler and woodland owners in 2009 who wanted to safeguard the sustainability of wood fuel for its now nearly 30 members."
"The DWFC has just completed the next stage of its development in the form of a purpose built 840 square metre storage facility designed to supply and guarantee best quality wood fuel (a Duchy of Cornwall & Defra RDPE funded project based at Brimpts Farm Dartmeet)."
"So it was with great delight that the Co-operative secured the contract to supply the Dartmoor National Park Authority Princetown site and that the National Park Authority recognises the social, economic and not least the environmental benefits of working with this locally based Co-operative."
Ali Bright, Head of ICT and Premises for Dartmoor National Park Authority said:
"Now that the system is fully operational the National Park Authority will be able to submit an application for payments under the renewable heat incentive. This is a government green energy scheme, (similar to the feed-in tariff for solar panels), which pays a guaranteed amount of money per kWh for heat generated from certain renewable sources (including biomass). "
"This will generate a welcome income stream for the National Park Authority, and combined with savings in fuel costs (wood chips are around half the cost of fuel oil) and income from the sale of heat to the Duchy of Cornwall, the Authority should cover the installation cost of the system within about 4 years."
