Bio energy

Bio energy expertise at UHI

Agronomy Institute - Orkney

Crop research; Agronomy; Agriculture.   Full details here.

The Scottish School of Forestry - Inverness

Forestry skills; Sustainable forest management; Woodfuel Technology; Woodfuel research; Community furnaces and systems.   Full details here.

SAMS - Dunstaffnage

Marine Science; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Technology; Marine microbial and molecular biology; Algal biofuels research and monitoring.   Full details here.

NAFC - Shetland

Marine engineering; Marine hatchery; Aquaculture; Marine biology; Shellfish studies; Fisheries; Nautical studies; Shipping training (on simulator); Life Sciences (SSQC); Seaweed anti-microbial compounds.    Full details here.

ERI - Thurso

Electrical and Electronic Engineering;  Mechanical Engineering; Environment and Heritage; Nuclear Decommissioning & Environmental Remediation Centre; Biotechnology & Bioresources; Climate Change;  Chemical compound testing.   Full details here.

Bio energy projects at UHI

BioMara — A project investigating sustainable fuels from Marine Biomass; the potential use of both macroalgae and microalgae as alternatives to terrestrial agri-fuel production.

PELLETime — PELLETime is a european programme to identify and develop tools that support sustainable local pellet supply chains through the use of local renewable energy resources

RASLRES - Regional Approaches to Stimulating Local Renewable Energy Solutions
A project aimed at increasing the use and uptake of locally produced energy in rural areas of northern Europe.The project focuses on the use of energy crops such as wood, grass and seaweed.  The project is also developing models that will compare the environmental impact of installing renewable energy heating systems compared to current heating systems.

Biofuel from Algae — A 3yr Carbon Trust initiative to develop a sustainable, cost effective biofuel from alga.

Forest Energy — A COST Action project called 'Forest Energy Action'. It brings together a network of over 30 countries worldwide, looking at the development and harmonisation of new operational research and assessment procedures for sustainable forest biomass supply.  This synthesis will promote the increase in the use of forest biomass for energy as laid out in the EU strategies.

MSc by Research Project in woodfuel supply - Chris Perkins — His research thesis is entitled: 'A GIS Decision Support System for Emerging Woodfuel energy markets', aimed to produce and test a replicable Decision Support System to enable potential actors in the woodfuel supply chain to assess the economic and environmental potential for hte installation of woodfuel technology.

Woodfuel supply chain study Scottish School of Foresty (SSF) — The campus installed a woodfuel boiler in 2007 to heat the existing buildings on the site (previously heated by electric storage heaters) and to supply woodchip to two other woodfuel boilers in the surrounding area. Data has been collected from the supply chain and heating requirements of this functioning woodfuel district heating scheme and functioning supply chain. The data will be analysed to critically assess the viability of this real life local woodfuel use in the Highlands.

NPP Northern Woodheat - The Northern Periphery Program (NPP) Northern WoodHeat project aimed to set up small and medium scale woodfuel supply chains optimising benefits to local communities.

NPP BITWON - The BITWON innovation network, investigate, developed and commercialised heat-treated, oil-treated and pressed timber products from the northern periphery area that can be utilised by the DIY and construction markets int he EU region. These products were developed and modified using innovative ideas exchanged by SMEs from the development programme, thereby creating more environmentally friendly products than may of those currently on offer.

Willow Biomass - Through collaboration with the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI, both Highland Birchwoods and   Inverness College UHI have been involved in two projects involving the trialing and development of short rotation coppice of willow for biomass in Orkney.