Don’t discount energy from waste wood
sir – You report (January 24) an energy specialist’s view that burning wood has a worse impact than coal.
Only about half of the timber that enters a sawmill is available for sale. There are various uses for the waste, such as in particle board. A small percentage (5-10 per cent) is used for heat or will eventually rot. Both these processes emit carbon dioxide, but decay also releases methane – which is up to 100 times more damaging as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Britain requires relatively small, highly efficient power and heat production units. These should be close to the waste source and/or close to suitable users. Technology to make use of this waste exists and requires a reasonably small investment.
Unlike wind and solar, power generated from wood waste is available on demand and without expensive battery backup. Greener power and heat production demands a balance of available technologies, not concentration on a few.
Dr Kenneth Hay
Lymington, Hampshire