News Stories

RDI launch the UK's first dedicated wood fuel expo!

The UK’s first dedicated wood fuel expo, Ignition09, is to be held at The Sage Gateshead, Tyneside, on the 11th and 12th March 2009 – an event backed by One NorthEast and Rural Development Initiatives to provide networking opportunities for organisations involved in the supply chain and those interested in finding out more about how wood fuel can benefit their business.

Igniting wood fuel in the East of England

Ignite, the UK’s only accredited programme of training to focus on the woodfuel supply chain, is coming to the East of England for the first time. Funded by the Forestry Commission and Woodfuel East two three day courses will run in Suffolk and Bedfordshire in September and October.
 

New Project Officer delivering RDPE at Northwoods

Jennifer Hewitson, our newest project officer, has just started work at our Northwoods office. Jennifer will be working full time on delivering the bioenergy part of the Rural Development Plan for England in the north east.

Jennifer, who completed her MSc in Rural Development at Newcastle University in 2006, moves back to the region from her previous employment supporting rural businesses in Scotland. “I’m delighted to be back in my home region, and looking forward to getting out and supporting existing and new businesses in the biomass fuel supply chain.”

bioeNErgy grants scheme now open!

Northwoods, RDI's North East office, have launched bioeNErgy - a two year programme of grant intervention for strengthening and developing the emerging bio-energy sector in the North East region.

Click here for full details of bioeNErgy.

Yorwoods nominated biomass scheme wins award at Yorkshire Biomass Awards

A biomass scheme in nominated by Yorwoods has won the ‘Highly Commended’ Yorkshire Biomass Awards. The award was for the biomass boiler installation at the Dairy Meadow development, which supplies heat to 22 houses on a district heating system.  This will save an estimated 220 tonnes of carbon every year, providing the opportunity for families to live within a truly “green” community.

For more information download the document below.

RDI - Helping to Fuel The Future

NORTH East farms and forestry businesses looking to produce biomass for low carbon heat and power markets are in line for support from a new project to build supply chains in the regional industry.

Just over £1m from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) in the region will help new and existing feedstock suppliers for markets such as woodchip heating and combined heat and power generation, to develop the facilities and systems they need and to access specialist training

Community Sustainable Energy Programme

The community sustainable energy programme is a grant programme run by Building Research Establishment (BRE) as an award partner of the Big Lottery Fund, aimed to raise public awareness and support for renewable energy. 

The programme will provide £8 million for the installation of microgeneration technologies and energy efficiency measures by not-for-profit community-based organisations in England, and £1 million for project development grants.

EUROFIRE - Project Summary

Eurofire is an international partnership, funded by EU Leonardo da Vinci, that is developing a competency based training system, based on a new learning outcomes approach.  The Eurofire project runs for 24 months from October 2006 to September 2008. The project brings together partners with international expertise and experience in wildland fire, management and training to develop, evaluate and distribute a new EU wide, multi-lingual on-line training resource.

Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme - summary of round 4.

Run by DEFRA the aim of the scheme is to support the installation of biomass-fuelled heat and combined heat and power projects.  It is only available in England and is open to the  industrial, commercial and community sectors.  The scheme funds 40% of the difference between installing a woodfuel system and its fossil fuel alternative (this usually equates to about 25% of total cost) and there is no minimum threshold.  Eligible costs would include items such as the boiler and infrastructure such as a fuel store but not forest operations such as improving forest roads.

Kate is back!

Kate Hutchinson has rejoined Rural Development Initiatives as a Projects Manager. Kate, who left RDI's Northwoods team for a move to London in 2007, will be based in London whilst working with other RDI staff across the UK on Projects including; the Wildfire 2009 conference (New Forest - June 2009), a biomass exhibition in the north-east and managing a number of the fire groups that RDI host on behalf of local  partnerships.
 

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