Wood Fuel Wales

							                                            Wood Fuel Wales
                                               Minutes
                                               th
                                            8 April 2009
                                   at Wesleyan Chapel, Builth Wells

Present:
Keith Blacker           Edistone
Andy Bull               SWEA
Tommy Evans             G & T Evans
Ben Graham              4Wood
Bernard Horsfield       Gwent Fire Installations
Marc Howell             Wood Energy
Mark Lewis              Forestry Commission Wales (FCW) – WEBS2
Kath McNulty            CONFOR
Frankie Owen            Welsh Timber Forum
Chris Pedersen          Topstak
Mike Pitcher            Forestry Commission Wales(FCW) – WEBS2
Jonathan Say            Dulas
Daf Schofield           ESA Fuel Woods
Ewart Schofield         ESA Fuel Woods
Laura Shewring          GLASU
Nic Snell               Certainly Wood

Apologies:
Peter Bottoms
Michael Read

Agenda Item

1.      Minutes of Last Meeting/Matters Arising
                                                    st
CP chaired meeting. Minutes of meeting held on 1 October agreed as true record.

2.       Membership
Currently under 30. How do we get more members? KM – What benefits will members get?
CP - Apart from those aims and objectives listed in the leaflet, the main benefit is the ability for the
industry to combine forces to strengthen the messages concerning woodfuel; and to gain an influential
voice into WAG to influence legislation.
Membership will be increased by continually spreading the word about WFW. Keep mailing out.
£100 membership is too high for most sweeps and installers. WFW members should be prepared to be
active to support the organisation.

3.      Promotion
3a.     Website – updated with new logo. Content is quite good. Updates will be made when funds
available. Would like to see a members only section, better links to other sites/members’ sites.
KB – could it be agreed that members could use the WFW logo on their own letterheads and literature.
Would also be a good way to raise profile of WFW.
CP – logo in process of being trademarked. Should be no problem to licence its usage in this way.

3b       Consumer Leaflet – Education is vital to raise confidence in wood as a fuel. A general discussion
ensued about the uses of leaflets and the proposed format of the WFW leaflet.
ACTION – BG to look at the current leaflets in the marketplace, specifically the old FC leaflet, written by
Geoff Keighley, to see how this can be edited. Info. should be fairly basic – dispel myth of hardwoods v.
softwoods for good burning, answer such questions as ‘How do I know what I am buying’, How do I store
it? What is good quality firewood? What is the energy output? etc. The audience for leaflets will mainly
be the enquirer at a show, someone who has purchased some wood burning equipment and perhaps
professionals who need to know more. Should consider producing a series of leaflets geared towards the
different woodfuels and the different audiences.
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                                                    WoodFuel Wales minutes of meeting held 1 October 2008



3c        Greener Homes & Buildings Show – A small stand has been booked. MH will be giving a
presentation on the Professionals Day aimed at highlighting good and bad practice with wood burning
installations.

3d     Royal Welsh Show – WFW will have a display area in the WFBP marquee.
MP queried whether WEBS 2 should be launched at the show. It was felt that there were already too
many launches at the show and that WEBS 2 should have an earlier launch event to raise its profile.

3e      Contacting other Organisations – many organisations in Wales trying to achieve energy efficiency
and tackling climate change. Should be working together. Need to establish dialogue. Need better
communication as to what is happening. Members should suggest organisations to link with. Big energy
suppliers will be a necessity.
ACTION - CP arrange a meeting at Topstak’s premises in Cowbridge in early autumn.

4.     Other Activities and Organisations
4a     Application for Woodfuel Officer. Application has been made under Supply Chain Efficiencies
Scheme. Have received good feedback but WAG requires further financial information. Should have
response by end of April.

4b        Q.A. Scheme for wood fuel – the log market needs a quality mark. HETAS is a non profit making
organisation and is well established in the market of approvals and certification. Considered a lead body
for all forms of solid fuel. They will operate a scheme in conjunction with WFW.
2 categories – 1. Ready to use, i.e kiln dried or seasoned logs. 2. Green logs.
There will be a combined HETAS/WFW quality mark. Scheme is under development. Structure based on
the draft European standard. Bill Massey is the main contact at HETAS. The scheme must be workable,
achievable and affordable.
Why have a quality mark? – for the customer – less chance of problems with supply. For the trade – if
customer gets bad fuel there is loss of confidence in the equipment and staff costs and time in resolving
these problems. A quality mark will also be proof to WAG that the sector is maturing and is responsible
and does not encourage supply on a ‘cash only’ basis.
The mark will help to identify source of wood, type of wood, length/dia. of logs, moisture content, qty in
which it is sold.
Policing – should be robust and will need a workable complaints procedure.

4c     Renewable Energy Association – CP attended meeting in Feb. Gaynor Hartnell is the contact – a
Wales branch has been suggested, but still early days.

4d      WFBP – WKW is working with WFBP and has their support.

5.    Other Matters
                                                                                               nd
5a    Bio energy Action Plan for Wales – document is on the WFW website. Comments due by 22
May. WFW does need to respond. Members to send their comments to FO to collate for inclusion in the
WFW response.

5b     Renewable Energy Route Map for Wales – No mention of log fuel.
ACTION – CP to send to FO for loading onto website.
Microgeneration Plan possibly does include wood fuel. To be checked.

5c      Building Regulations – will probably be devolved by end of 2009. Will possibly have greater
emphasis on wood burning in domestic premises – current housing stock, not new build. Nick Tune,
BRE, is focusing on housing stock in the Heads of the Valleys area.
ACTION – CP to contact Nick Tune ref. how woodfuel fits in with this project work.

5d     Wood Fuel Suppliers Scoping Meeting – First meeting called in 2008. Still very early stages.
Rural Development Initiative (RDI) have been recruited to look at support needed by fuel suppliers across
GB. WFW should expect some contact from them.
                                                        th
5e     Woodlands for Wales Strategy – launched on 27 March. Document is on the WFW website.

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                                                    WoodFuel Wales minutes of meeting held 1 October 2008


6.       Any Other Business
MP is on a group looking at public procurement. Pressure is on for Low Carbon buildings. Must be
BREEAM excellent. Wood fuel is important factor in achieving this. Confidence in the wood fuel supply
chain is needed and the supply needs to meet expectations.

MP advised that FCW is looking at options as to how to sell smaller parcels of wood to local firewood
suppliers. This should encourage the emergence of more high quality suppliers in the market place. The
first step will probably be to pack and sell roadside residues from harvesting.
FCW wants an external organisation to consult with in the early stages of discussing the options.
The meeting felt that contracts would be required to help wood fuel businesses to remain viable. Smaller
lots are necessary. Historically lots are too huge for small/medium contractors to work with.
ACTION – MP to suggest a consultation meeting and come back to FO with some possible dates.
Should include small contractors in the meeting.

7.      Date of Next Meeting

TBC




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