The UK’s quest for sustainable bioenergy is gaining momentum, driven by ambitious net-zero targets and the urgent need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. We learned this the hard way when dealing with challenging terrain during harvests… As a leading forestry contractor specialist, I’m excited to explore the innovations transforming the country’s bioenergy feedstock production.
Now, this might seem counterintuitive when managing forest ecosystems…
Bioenergy Feedstock: The Backbone of UK Biomass
Bioenergy feedstock – the raw organic materials used to generate heat and power – is the foundation of the UK’s bioenergy sector. Traditionally, this has included woody biomass from forestry operations, as well as agricultural residues and energy crops like miscanthus and short rotation coppice (SRC) willow.
However, the sector is rapidly evolving, with pioneering projects exploring novel feedstock sources, such as offshore seaweed cultivation and the harvesting of upland heather moorlands. These innovative approaches hold immense potential to diversify and expand the UK’s bioenergy supply.
Innovations Driving Biomass Optimisation
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has recognised the critical role of feedstock innovation, providing £32 million in funding through the Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme. This initiative has enabled 12 organisations, including 7 small- and medium-sized enterprises, to develop and demonstrate commercially viable solutions for enhancing domestic biomass production.
Let’s explore some of the key innovations that are transforming the UK’s bioenergy landscape:
Geospatial Tools for Upscaling Forestry-based Biomass
The BIOFORCE project, led by Verna Earth Solutions Ltd, is creating advanced geospatial tools to help landowners, investors, and policymakers identify the most suitable sites for forestry-based biomass production across Great Britain. By integrating improved climate modelling and economic factors, these tools – ESC5 and ForestFounder2 – will enable the selection of the optimal tree species and forestry systems, including long rotation forestry, short rotation forestry, short rotation coppice, and agroforestry.
The project’s pre-commercial demonstration partnerships with organisations like the National Trust, HS2, and the Ministry of Justice will assess the potential of over 100,000 hectares of land, greatly expanding the national evidence base for sustainable biomass supply.
Transforming Offshore Seaweed Farming
Seaweed is one of the fastest-growing biomass sources on the planet, offering significant potential for carbon sequestration and ecosystem services. However, the current state of seaweed farming limits biomass production due to its costly, time-consuming, and labour-intensive nature, particularly in offshore waters.
The SeaGrown project aims to address these challenges by developing an innovative, automated end-to-end seaweed farming system. Led by SeaGrown Limited, the project leverages the company’s expertise in operating a 25-hectare offshore seaweed farm in the North Sea to create a transformational shift from cottage industry to a major source of sustainable bulk biomass from the ocean.
This pioneering work could position the UK as a leader in European seaweed farming and help establish a national Blue Carbon capability.
Decision Support for Perennial Energy Crops
Farmers, land managers, and consultants often face the daunting task of selecting the optimal perennial energy crop for their specific situations. The EnviroCrops project, led by the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), is addressing this challenge by creating a user-friendly web application that provides impartial information and decision support.
The Perennial Energy Crops Decision Support System (PEC-DSS) will enable users to input their location and other relevant details to receive a tailored assessment of the suitability and viability of growing crops like willow, miscanthus, poplar, and eucalyptus. By incorporating yield models, economic factors, and climate change considerations, the tool will empower stakeholders to make informed decisions about diversifying their bioenergy feedstock production.
Accelerating Miscanthus Breeding with Genomic Selection
Miscanthus is a leading perennial biomass crop for the UK, but the current commercial clone, Miscanthus x giganteus, has some limitations. The Miscanspeed project, led by Aberystwyth University, aims to demonstrate the application of genomic selection (GS) to accelerate the breeding of high-yielding, resilient Miscanthus varieties.
GS, which utilises information stored in the plant genome, has proven effective in speeding up the breeding process for annual crops like maize and wheat. By implementing GS in the Miscanthus breeding programme, the project can significantly reduce the time required to develop new varieties, tackle logistical and cost issues, and enable selection for complex traits like yield and climate resilience.
This innovation will help deliver an effective and flexible breeding platform to support the production of Miscanthus varieties suitable for current and future UK climates and land types.
Improving Miscanthus Establishment and Deployment
Closely related to the Miscanthus breeding efforts, the OMENZ project, led by Terravesta Farms Ltd, is focused on optimising the establishment of Miscanthus crops. The project addresses several barriers to upscaling Miscanthus planting, including issues with germplasm production, pre-treatment, automated crop surveys, and land preparation.
By leveraging technologies such as automation, machine learning, and biological treatments, the OMENZ team aims to deliver a vastly improved Miscanthus establishment method. This will not only increase the efficiency and quality of Miscanthus planting but also help support the rapid scale-up of Miscanthus to meet the growing demand for bioenergy feedstock within the UK.
The project will integrate data from all stages of the establishment process into the Terravesta Harvest Hub platform, providing valuable insights to benefit both growers and end-users across the Miscanthus supply chain.
Unlocking Domestic Biomass Pellet Production
While the UK has made significant progress in transitioning to renewable energy, the country still imports a substantial portion of its biomass pellets for bioenergy generation. The White Horse Energy project seeks to address this by developing a transportable, mobile pelletisation technology that can operate on-farm, processing a range of energy crops and agricultural residues.
This innovation has the potential to unlock a significant new supply of domestically sourced, sustainably produced biomass pellets, reducing the UK’s reliance on imported feedstock and strengthening the country’s position as a global leader in green agriculture and low-carbon technologies.
The project’s field-testing programme and supply chain assessment will help inform the commercial implementation of this technology across the UK agricultural sector.
Harvesting Upland Heather for Biomass
Typically, the management of upland heather moorlands in the UK involves regular burning to maintain the desired vegetation structure. However, this practice results in the loss of significant biomass and associated heat energy. The Teesdale Moorland Biomass Project, led by Teesdale Environmental Consulting Ltd, aims to instead harvest this naturally generated biomass for commercial use.
Heather, with its low moisture content, lends itself well to efficient and cost-effective biomass production. By replicating the current land management practices and ensuring the preservation of high conservation value, this project offers a viable alternative to the traditional burning approach while contributing to the UK’s climate change mitigation efforts.
Accelerating Willow Breeding and Deployment
Short rotation coppice (SRC) willow is a well-established bioenergy crop in the UK, but further improvements are needed to optimise its production and deployment at scale. The Accelerating Willow Breeding and Deployment (AWBD) project, led by Rothamsted Research, is tackling this challenge on multiple fronts.
The project will apply genomic selection to accelerate the breeding of new, improved willow varieties, reducing the time and cost associated with the traditional breeding process. Simultaneously, it will generate comprehensive performance data on matching willow varieties to diverse UK environments, ensuring intelligent deployment to meet the growing demand for sustainable biomass.
To overcome the potential bottleneck in planting material availability, the project will also explore micropropagation techniques to enable the rapid upscaling of new, high-performing willow varieties.
Sustainable Biomass Production for a Net-Zero Future
These innovative projects, supported by the Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme, are transforming the UK’s bioenergy landscape, optimising the production and deployment of sustainable biomass feedstock. By harnessing novel technologies, improving cultivation practices, and diversifying the feedstock sources, these initiatives are positioning the country to meet its ambitious net-zero targets while strengthening the resilience and reliability of its bioenergy supply.
As a leading forestry contractor, I’m excited to see how these advancements will ripple through the industry, empowering landowners, farmers, and bioenergy producers to collaborate and unlock the full potential of UK-grown biomass. The future of sustainable bioenergy in the UK has never been brighter.
To learn more about the latest innovations and best practices in forestry management, I encourage you to visit ForestryContracting.co.uk, where you can find a wealth of resources and insights from industry experts.
Tip: Assess soil compaction before harvesting operations
