A focal point for the community to support ambitious scaling up of the bioenergy industry and scale of planting

Demonstration and knowledge-sharing hubs to showcase best practice and innovations in land-based biomass feedstock production

Robust, independent information on biomass feedstock performance, agronomy, economics and environmental benefits

British Renewable Energy Awards

Pioneer Winner 2023

Biomass Connect has been named the winner of the prestigious Pioneer Award at the British Renewable Energy Awards.

Building a UK wide, cohesive, regionally based community to develop and operate the platform

Newsletter Sign Up

We produce a newsletter and other regular communication to share relevant information and the Platform’s activities.

Sign up

Innovation Zero 2024

Location: London, UK

Innovation Zero, the UK’s largest net-zero congress, returns to London Olympia for the second edition on 30 April – 1 May 2024, alongside its new co-located event, Infrastructure Zero. Supported by the […]

Read more

Miscanthus variety trial planting at IBERS Demonstrator Hub

In addition to these, 5 of the Biomass Connect Demonstrator Hubs also have a Miscanthus variety trial which itself has two plots, a 2023 planting and a 2024 planting. The 2024 plots are currently being planted now, so here are some photos of the IBERS team in action planting out the variety trials into the 2024 plot.

Read more

Presentation: Crops to Products

Slides from a recent Biomass Connect presentation by Jeanette Whitaker from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Read more

Biomass Connect: Biomass Innovation and Information Platform

Biomass Connect is a demonstration and knowledge-sharing initiative to showcase best practice and innovations in land-based biomass feedstock production.

Biomass crops are non-food plants cultivated for the purposes of energy production. Sometimes referred to as energy crops, they have a high potential energy content or calorific value. The project compares how well different crops and varieties grow in regions across the UK and demonstrates innovations which have the potential to maximise their economic and environmental benefits.

Eight demonstration hubs are located across the UK, in Ceredigion, South Ayrshire, Buckinghamshire, Devon, Edinburgh, County Down, Tyne & Wear and Yorkshire.

Biomass Feedstocks Innovation

£32m of funding has enabled 12 organisations, including 7 small and medium-sized enterprises, to deliver commercially viable innovations in biomass production.

Crop information

Biomass crops are typically herbaceous or woody plants with very high growth rates, limited requirements for nutrient input or heavily managed cultivation, with a high potential energy content or calorific value.

What’s On

Check out our diary of events and demos.

30
Apr
Innovation Zero, the UK’s largest net-zero congress, returns to London Olympia for the second edition on 30 April – 1 May 2024, alongside its new co-located event, Infrastructure Zero. Supported by the […]
01
May
Come and join us at FarmED for an interactive day exploring how herbal leys can be used to improve resilience and increase carbon capture in your soils.
15
May
This year Northern Ireland’s largest agri-food event returns to its usual date in May and it once again promises to be four fun-filled days out for the entire family.Taking place […]
What's On

Technical Articles

What we’ve been doing

News
April 26, 2024
Miscanthus variety trial planting at IBERS Demonstrator Hub
In addition to these, 5 of the Biomass Connect Demonstrator Hubs also have a Miscanthus variety trial which itself has two plots, a 2023 planting and a 2024 planting. The 2024 plots are currently being planted now, so here are some photos of the IBERS team in action planting out the variety trials into the 2024 plot.
Read more
News
April 25, 2024
IBERS Demonstrator Hub Miscanthus Harvest 2024
A selection of photos from the recent Miscanthus harvest at the IBERS Demonstrator Hub. The Miscanthus x giganteus was cut in the middle of March and then baled earlier this week using a round-chopper baler.
Read more
News
April 24, 2024
Biomass Connect at the Argus Biomass Conference
Read more
Demonstrator Hub Updates
April 24, 2024
Demonstrator Hub Updates – March 2024
The month of March proved to be a wet one once again for many of the Demonstrator Hubs, but the signs of Spring are evident at all of them. Willows are in leaf and catkin and attracting insects with their early crop of pollen. The alder and poplar have buds at most sites and the black locust 'Turbo' has some yellow flowers showing at some of the hubs. All demonstrator hubs have removed the black locust 'Turbo Obelisk' ready for re-planting.
Read more