Scottish businesses warm up to biomass heat
Elaine Brass
26th May 2009
An extra £1.3 million of fresh funding has been allocated under the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme (SBHS), which aims to increase the take up of renewable heat used by Scottish businesses.
A total of 26 Scottish businesses have already been awarded £1.6 million to turn their heating on to renewables through the scheme. The SBHS provides grants for Scottish small to medium-sized enterprises for the installation of biomass and district heating systems, at the same time driving the Scottish wood fuel markets and maximising carbon savings.
The scheme has now also re-opened to other Scottish businesses interested in installing renewable heating systems, with an extra £1.3 million of European funding allocated, on top of the original £2 million.
The maximum grant available is £100,000, although additional support for district heating projects may be considered on a case-by-case basis. In total the SBHS will install approximately seven megawatts (MW) of renewable heat energy in Scotland.
Commenting on the scheme, Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather, said Scotland had the forestry resource and the skills to help the nation became the "green energy capital of Europe", create jobs and support rural economies.
"Almost half of the energy used in Scotland goes towards heating and hot water [...] There is a huge opportunity for Scottish business to use more biomass heating, especially in areas not connected to the gas grid," he said. "Business can reduce emissions and potentially cut costs, while creating new green jobs and supporting rural economies. The use of more woodfuel will help build a more sustainable economy and contribute to a low carbon Scotland."
The SBHS is managed in partnership between the Scottish Government and Forestry Commission Scotland. The closing date for applications is September 4 2009.