Green energy timber plan

Tree planting has started at a farm in South Lincolnshire – the first site in a series of trials which will evaluate the potential for fast growing trees species to provide green energy and the impacts this has on the environment.

Forestry Commission England (FCE) has been commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to manage a three year, £1.5 million, research project to examine the feasibility of Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) as a viable renewable energy source.

The project will provide scientific data on hydrology, carbon balance, economic viability and possible environmental risks, such as the impact of SRF on landscape and biodiversity.
Energy companies are interested in the potential for fast growing tree species to be used to provide a solid fuel for electricity generation, in particular Eucalyptus. SRF grows quickly and can be harvested at between 5 and 15 years of age offering high yields in a short space of time - potentially giving better energy returns than either traditional forestry, woody crops grown as coppice (short rotation coppice / SRC) or Miscanthus grass.

Mark Broadmeadow, Climate Change Programme Manager for Forestry Commission England, said, "We need to conduct a feasibility study into the impacts of growing SRF on an operational scale to understand its landscape scale impacts. Although we already understand the main environmental impacts of conventional forestry and from growing trees as short rotation coppice, the changes in choice of tree species and length of rotation for SRF may potentially result in different environmental impacts. We need to be clear as to what these are and their overall effect, to ensure that Government policy in this area is firmly underpinned by evidence.

"Evidence suggests that the yield of SRF can be far superior to that of short rotation coppice or conventional forestry. It is right for Government to assess the balance between increased yield and any negative impacts, to ensure the sustainability and integrity of renewable energy initiatives. A considered decision on the relative merits can only be made on the basis of good evidence."

Eucalyptus trees have been planted on grazing land at the Lincolnshire site, which is one of up to six that will be planted in 2009. Promising native and naturalised species will also be planted at all sites, which cover a variety of climatic and soil conditions. Opportunities will be explored to extend data collection until the trees are harvested in eight to fifteen years time.