LOCALLY PRODUCED WOOD-CHIP TO HEAT 130 HOMES

Boiler installation is well underway in Aviemore’s Dalfaber Industrial Estate on the innovative wood-chip heating project which will eventually heat 130 homes in the Dalfaber area of Aviemore. The £676,000 district heating energy centre, will be a carbon free, affordable alternative to traditional carbon-producing heating systems which are subject to increases in international energy prices. The project is funded principally  by Communities Scotland, the Executive’s Housing and Regeneration Agency with additional funding from Albyn Housing Society, the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company, the Local Enterprise Company as well as the Bio-mass Capital grant Scheme. The project uses the latest woodchip boilers from Austria and boiler specialists from that country have been in Aviemore overseeing the installation.

Being built by Robertson Contruction Northern Ltd for Albyn Housing Society, the plant will take wood supply from a variety of local sources including forestry and co-product from local sawmills. The energy centre will run automatically every day of the year, producing hot water for use as space heating and domestic hot water needs. 

Welcoming the near completion of one of the country’s biggest Bio-mass district heating schemes Donald Lockhart, Albyn’s Development Director commented:

“This is a very important project for us at Albyn and our partners but also for our future customers who will benefit greatly from affordable energy to say nothing of the environmental benefit of the project which will save about 700 tonnes of CO2 from being added to the atmosphere every year. We have appointed Buccleuch Bio-Energy to manage the plant we look forward to the first residents being connected in July. The wood-chip district heating is only one part of an innovative housing project where we have set out to achieve high sustainable and environmental standards which we hope will be copied elsewhere in the Highlands.”

Communities Scotland area director for the Highlands and Islands, David Nicol, said:

“We are delighted to see such progress being made on the bio-mass heating system at Aviemore. This innovative project will work for the benefit of both residents and the local economy. Being able to use wood which has been grown locally to provide energy is a huge benefit, I hope that future householders will welcome being part of this project and enjoy the savings which it will bring to their energy bills.”