Capitalise on experiences of the development of wood energy installations and diffuse the information throughout Europe

In order to help the local decision makers to choose wood chip energy, it would be useful to have specialised technical and commercial data, in order to be able to show from working examples that : - Wood energy is developing throughout Europe (guarantee of the future of wood chip boilers) - To each particular situation or physical configuration, there is always a technical and financial solution. - To promote the energy of the future.

The LAG Confluences around Verdon is situated in the South East of the French Alps. There is an important forestry resource, as woods cover 54% of the area. The elected representatives of the territory have decided to encourage the development of wood energy because of the vast potential of the forests and the great demand for heating in the long winter period. It is difficult to build up a knowledge base and a wood energy culture that would boost the spread of wood chip installations.

- Setting up of a delegation from each participating LAGs; - Recruitment of a consulting agency to lead the project and coordinate the actions locally; - Selection of representative examples of boilers already in place in different European countries, with visits and investigations, especially in the countries the furthest developed in this type of structure; - Synthesis of general information collated; - Elaboration and diffusion of a document containing the European examples studied.

LAG from all Europe, which are in the start-up phase of wood energy projects.

Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Malta, Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Spain, Slovakia, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Romania, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Lithuania, Latvia

Forestry, Nature/environment/land management

17/06/2009