| This month the
BOC Foundation awarded a generous grant of £26,175 to environmental
organisation BioRegional to fund the project development of regional
charcoal production from UK woodlands. The BOC Foundation awards
grants for projects proposing practical solutions to environmental
problems in the UK. The project aims to prove that eco -products
can give good returns whilst reducing pollution and helping biodiversity
at the same time.
BioRegional’s existing charcoal
company supplies 350 B&Q stores nationwide with local charcoal.
The company converts wood harvested through coppicing into BBQ charcoal,
the income generated maintains the 300 hectares of UK woodland in
active management for wildlife and supports the equivalent of 12
full-time jobs in the rural sector. In addition the CO2 emissions
due to transporting the charcoal are 85% less than when charcoal
is imported from, for example, South Africa or South America -reducing
our contribution to global warming.
Government agency English Nature
has set a target of returning 60-70,000 hectares of ancient and
semi natural UK woodland to sustainable management, for example
by regular coppicing. However one barrier for expansion of the charcoal
scheme is that only a few small-scale kilns can be used in any one
place due to smoke emissions.
With BOC Foundation funding BioRegional
are aiming to expand their charcoal production by establishing a
network of 5 regional scale charcoal plants, each using local wood,
which would supply national retailers with more barbecue charcoal.
Each regional scale charcoal plant would consume around 10,000 tonnes
of low-grade wood per year, maintaining 2,500 hectares of ancient
semi-natural woodland in long-term management. A network of 5 plants
would therefore support 12,500 hectares, about 20% of English Nature’s
target. The scheme would also mean a reduction of 550 tonnes/year
in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by displacing imported charcoal.
BioRegional will be working with conservation groups such as English
Nature and Butterfly Conservation to target woodlands critical to
endangered and fast declining species such as the Pearl bordered
fritillary butterfly, nightingale and dormouse.
The BOC Foundation joins funders
the Environmental Action Trust and WWF UK in supporting the project
which aims to find investors for a company to establish the 5 plants.
The clean, regional scale technology, which already operates in
France and Germany, will dramatically reduce the emissions of charcoal
production by burning the gases emitted during the process. A technology
transfer agreement has been reached with the manufacturer of the
plant. A site for the first plant has been identified in South Wales,
taking wood from the Wye and Severn valleys. An investment of £2
million is required to purchase the assets necessary to establish
the plant for the 5 sites.
BioRegional are currently approaching
investors and retailers to secure sales – with the aim to
have the regionally produced product on shelves by Summer 2004.
Investors would be supporting a sound, carefully developed project
that offers strong financial returns as well as producing significant,
important, environmental benefits. Please contact Pooran Desai,
Director BioRegional on pd@bioregional.com or tel. 020 8404 4883.
Notes
The BOC Foundation for the Environment is an independent organisation,
established by The BOC Group plc in 1990. The Foundation awards
grants for projects proposing practical solutions to environmental
problems in the UK. It concentrates its support on initiatives which
can achieve worthwhile results in the near future, rather than global
issues or long term fundamental research. Emphasis is placed on
pollution prevention wherever possible. The BOC Group provided an
initial sum of £1 million to set up The BOC Foundation and
continues to allocate further funds on an annual basis. Now with
over 10 years behind it, The BOC Foundation has funded nearly 100
projects with a total investment on behalf of itself and its partners
of around £10million.
Coppicing is the oldest form of woodland management. Most British
trees will regrow from the base if they are cut down and will produce
vigorous regrowth of young shoots. This was realised thousands of
years ago and it was recognised that the regrowth of certain species
had particular uses, from basket making through to large poles of
oak for timber framing. Most of the traditional uses continued up
until the Second World War, but then quickly declined from this
period on. Most of the copses fell into a state of neglect and it
is only in recent years that there has been a small revival in traditional
woodland crafts and traditional coppice skills.
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