Videos

How Chester Zoo is growing, harvesting and using willow for its animals.

Added: 11th Dec. 2023 We have produced two short films looking at birds in and around willow and Miscanthus crops in Devon and Somerset. The films feature ornithologist and wildlife detective Ed Drewitt (along with BC team member Kevin Lindegaard of Crops for Energy) and were filmed in mid-November with a dawn and dusk survey at each site.

Added: 11th Dec. 2023 We have produced two short films looking at birds in and around willow and Miscanthus crops in Devon and Somerset. The films feature ornithologist and wildlife detective Ed Drewitt (along with BC team member Kevin Lindegaard of Crops for Energy) and were filmed in mid-November with a dawn and dusk survey at each site.

Added: 4th Dec. 2023 Tree planting techniques by Bryan Elliot, filmed at the Biomass Connect SRUC demo event.

Added: 4th Dec. 2023 This case study features a successful farm-scale community heating scheme using short rotation coppice (SRC) willow as a fuel source. The project has been cost-effective and provided a range of benefits, including energy self-sufficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and potential biodiversity enhancements.

Added: 8th Nov. 2023 A short video of the successful Biomass Connect demo event at our Ayrshire Hub Site. Be sure to join us on our next event.

Added: 8th Nov. 2023 The weather may not have been great but our demo event at Boghall Farm near Edinburgh was enjoyed by all.

Added: 19th Oct. 2023 Another quick assessment of willow growth by Kevin Lindegaard, this time from our Boghall Hub Site in Edinburgh. Once again establishment and growth have been very good indeed. The crops are doing well seeing as they were only planted 5-6 months previously.

Kevin Lindegaard provides a quick assessment of willow growth at our Headley Hall Hub Site after just 6 months.

A lively and well-attended demo event at the Biomass Connect Agri-food and Biosciences Institute Hub Site in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland. 

Burlerrow Farm is a 303-hectare mixed farm based in Bodmin, Cornwall. It is run by James Mutton who has been growing miscanthus since 2002. Initially, the crop was used to produce miscanthus rhizomes, but since 2009 they have been producing premium equine and animal bedding. In 2022, the farm business processed over 4,000 tonnes of miscanthus for this purpose. During the last decade Burlerrow Farm has diversified into new markets and now produce miscanthus bedding products (Burlybed), heating briquettes (Burlyburn), and forage products (Burlybale) based on grass, hay or haylage.

Biomass Connect with Newcastle University, supported by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) successfully hosted an informative demonstration event at the Cockle Park Farm, Newcastle University. The event provided a platform for attendees from the biomass industry to gain insights and engage in discussions focused on biomass production, agroforestry, land use and diversification.

Research scientists from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) collaborated with Aberystwyth Printmakers to curate an extraordinary exhibition featuring diverse artwork printed on Miscanthus paper. Miscanthus grass sourced from its native […]

Willow planting by Energy Crops Consultancy at the Biomass Connect IBERS Hub site. Planting crops for biomass energy.

There was so much happening at Cereals, the arable event. Here's a quick fly-around of some of the stands to give you a flavour of the show.

Willow Planting at the Biomass Connect AFBI Hub Site in Northern Ireland

Terravesta and Miscanthus Nurseries planting Miscanthus at the Biomass Connect IBERS Hub Site in May 2023

Biomass Connect team members recently visited Western Bio-Energy in Port Talbot South Wales, to find out more about this dynamic biomass-to-energy generation plant.

A round-up of some of the information and activities that Biomass Connect offers.

It's not all about trees! We may have planted over 100,000 trees for the BiomassConnect project, but we've been busy planting Miscanthus too. Miscanthus is a high-yielding, low-input crop that has the potential to be an important source of renewable energy. Our researchers will be exploring its use as a bioenergy feedstock and the potential environmental benefits it may offer. We can't wait to share our findings with you!

Eucalyptus is a fast-growing tree that's perfect for producing biomass for energy. These trials will help researchers better understand the best conditions for growing alder as a bioenergy crop. By investing in sustainable energy sources like Eucalyptus, we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and help protect the planet. 

As part of the Biomass Connect project, we're conducting a biomass trial using Poplar trees. Poplar is a fast-growing, sustainable crop that shows promise as a renewable energy source. Our researchers will be investigating its potential as a bioenergy feedstock and the environmental benefits it may provide. Stay tuned for updates on our progress!

Alder is a fast-growing tree that's perfect for producing biomass for energy. These trials will help researchers better understand the best conditions for growing alder as a bioenergy crop.

Last week, Energy Crops Consultancy (ECC) planted a 6-way mix of SRC willow at the BGI Hub Site. They used their 2-row planter which is perfect for smaller sites.

That’s the hand planting at the Rothamsted Research North Wyke hub site completed as well. It’s been a busy few weeks for the planting teams but great to be getting […]

Planting at the Biomass Connect Hub Site at IBERS, Aberystwyth. The trial plots of Miscanthus, Black Locust, Poplar, Alder, and Eucalyptus were all completed on a sunny day in April. […]

We’ve planted the BGI Hub Site with woody crops. Check out the video to see how it looks today.

The Planting Team in Full Flow planting Poplar at the Biomass Connect BGI Hub Site.

Planting Black Locust at the Biomass Connect BGI Hub Site

Planting Belgian Poplar Stems at the Biomass Connect BGI Hub Site

Check out the growth of these Eucalyptus trees that are already capturing around 18 tonnes of carbon per hectare.

Recently, members of the Biomass Connect team had the opportunity to visit the Drax Power Station, located in Selby, North Yorkshire. The station is the largest power plant in the UK and is responsible for producing around 7% of the country's electricity. Drax is also the largest decarbonisation project in Europe, and the company is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Cut and chip harvesting of willow and billet harvesting with a mechanical harvester.

Whole stick harvesting of willow with a mechanical harvester

Hand harvesting of Willow at a recent Biomass Connect demo event at the IBERS, Aberystwyth Hub Site.

A few video clips to give you a taste of the Biomass Connect Demo Event at BioGlobal Industries on March 22nd 2023. The event featured a variety of activities, including […]

Márton Németh talking about Black Locust as a biomass crop at the recent Biomass Connect Demo Event hosted by BioGlobal Industries.

Kevin Lindegaard from Envirocrops talking about willow breeding and biodiversity at a recent Biomass Connect Demo Event.

Kevin Lindegaard’s talk at the IBERS Demo Event, March 2023. He explains how making the right decisions when planting and harvesting willow and other biomass crops is essential and how […]

Find out how Envirocrops is revolutionising the biomass industry.

Relax with a drone flyover from our recent Biomass Connect Demo event at IBERS, Aberystwyth. The perfect opportunity to see what a trial site growing the biomass crops willow and […]

William MacAlpine from Rothamsted Research speaking at the IBERS, Aberystwyth Biomass Connect Demo Event about research into choosing the best willow varieties for biomass crop production.

At our recent IBERS Hub Site Demo Event William MacAlpine of Rothamsted Research explained why a mix of 6 different varieties is recommended when planting willow as a biomass crop.

A look at how Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) willow can have a positive effect on biodiversity both in than plantation itself and the surrounding areas.

Biomass Crops - Some Interesting Alternatives. Some biomass crops are bigger and leave a greater impression than others whilst others might be humbler but still get the job done. Our panel includes environmental farmer John Hawkins and expert silviculturalist Bryan Elliott.

This video explores the effect of planting biomass crops on Soil Organic Carbon (SOC). It is formed from the interaction of ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and decomposition of SOM. Soil carbon provides the benefit of enhancing soil quality which is essential to sustain and improve food production, increase supply and quality of water, enhance biodiversity, and reduce atmospheric CO2. For these reasons, planting biomass crops help to improve soil quality, provide resilience to physical soil degradation and help mitigate climate change.

Interviews with Steve and Matt Hunt from the plantations at Bio Global Industries in Bucks. The farm has a 98 kW BioKompakt boiler and uses 80 tonnes of wood fuel […]

As part of the Biomass Connect Launch Event at the recent Low Carbon Agriculture show, Chris Johnston of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) gave a fascinating talk on the […]

It turned out to be a grey and wet day but that didn’t stop the IBERS Aberystwyth Hub Site from harvesting willow ready for sampling.

Promo Video from BGI showing the process of ‘Field to Fire’ for biomass crops which will be demonstrated at their upcoming Biomass Connect Demo Event.    Biomass Connect Demo – […]

Presentation by Jeannette Whitaker (UKCEH) outlining the Biomass Connect project

Biomass Connect Webinar 2 - Emerging Markets for Biomass Crops with William Cracroft-Eley of Terravesta and Prof. JJ Leahy of The University of Limerick

IBERS Biomass Connect Hub Site, Aberystwyth. December 2022. Ground prepared ready for planting. This drone flyover shows Fields 1 and 2 of the IBERS Hub Site in Aberystwyth. Field 1: […]

The first of our Webinar Series – Land preparation – starting off on the right foot with speakers Mike Cooper from Miscanthus Nursery Ltd. and David Watson from Energy Crops […]

IBERS Biomass Connect Hub Site. December 2022. Ground prepared ready for planting. The video shows the North Easterly field of the hub site that will have plots of Short Rotation […]

BGI video showing the processing of Eucalyptus. The trees are cut down and the truck is used to make logs. Branches and leaves can be chipped and homogenised. The Eucalyptus […]

A short time-lapse film showing the regrowth of willow in spring. It was shot over seven weeks between March and May 2017 at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire, home to the […]

Bioenergy Europe’s third video of a series of four dedicated to #bioenergy feedstock coming from #agriculture, both perennial energy crops and agricultural residues. In this video we focus on the […]

This video sheds light on the meaning of carbon neutrality and explains the role of bioenergy in decarbonisation and climate change mitigation. Bioenergy is a carbon neutral, renewable energy that […]

Bioenergy Europe’s first video of a series of four dedicated to #bioenergy feedstock coming from #agriculture, both perennial energy crops and agricultural residues. In this video we focus on Short […]

Interview to Emmanuel de Maupeou, France Miscanthus. Visit the website of the European Bioenergy Future 2017 conference: http://www.bioenergyfuture.eu