While our interest here focuses mainly on burning wood efficiently for domestic heat purposes, we also have an obvious interest in utilising wood to further reduce carbon waste. Woodgas makes sense.

Gasification is the use of heat to transform solid biomass or other carbonaceous solids into a synthetic flammable fuel. The gasification process converts dry organic matter into a clean burning fuel that can replace the use of fossil fuels. Gasification can transform wood into a flexible gaseous fuel, which can be used to generate electricity or power a vehicle.

Black Mountain Woodfuels seeks to market wood gasification units in the UK, which are capable of generating up to 20Kw of electricity per hour. These units could be operated communally, but the most beneficial (economic) gains are made when the equipment is put to use on farms or large houses.

A 20-acre area of fast-growing willow could potentially grow enough wood to generate more than 44,000Kw (12 houses worth) of electricity annually. You cut 5 acres each year and from this you gather up to 50 tonnes of wood. You dry the wood and then you burn it to produce gas. The gas powers an alternator and a generator and they make electricity, which you use at home or sell to the grid via feed-in tariffs.

Interested? woodgas@redpigfarm.co.uk