InCrops Project

InCrops, Anglia Farmers and Rothamsted Research invite you to a seminar on perennial energy crops aimed at promoting opportunities in the bioenergy sector. This event is for energy producers, consultants, farmers, land owners, technology suppliers and other businesses in the supply chain. It is FREE to attend and includes refreshments.

At this half-day event:
•    Learn about the agronomy of perennial energy crops;
•    Find out about supply chain opportunities;
•    Visit the research plots and the National Willow Collection hosted by Rothamsted Research;
•    Network with fellow businesses and leading academic experts;
•    Find out about FREE consultancy from the InCrops Enterprise Hub.

Registration: to attend this event please contact Julia O’Rourke, InCrops Events Co-ordinator, by email on or call 01603 591 765. This event is free to attend however places are limited.

The Renewable Energy Directive requires the UK to ensure that, by 2020, 15% of its energy needs are met from renewable sources. The UK Government plans to achieve this with 30% renewable power, 12% of renewable heat and 10% of renewable in transport fuel. In 2010, biomass was the UK’s largest source of renewable energy, accounting for 2.8% of power, 1% of heat and 3.3% of transport fuel. Over 80% of this came from crops, wood or waste produced in the UK. The demand for biomass in the UK is expected to increase substantially from the end of this year, when the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme will become operational. Biomass crops will be a major part of the solution to help the UK meet its renewable heat targets.

Life Cycle Analyses have clearly demonstrated that the perennial energy crops miscanthus and short rotation coppice willow provide the greatest energy and green house gas benefits of the options available to UK farmers. Further research has demonstrated the low ash and low boiler fouling potential of these crops. However, financial and agronomic questions remain; Rothamsted Research has been working on these crops for 20 years and invites interested parties to share in the knowledge generated.

Rothamsted hosts the National Willow Collection; a valuable source of good breeding traits, such as high yield and resistance to pests and diseases, and the Rothamsted Research plant breeders have combined willows with favourable characteristics to produce excellent varieties for the UK and European markets. There is now renewed interest in willows and other perennial energy crops and, to unlock this vast potential, InCrops and Anglia Farmers are helping to establish more integrated supply chains. This half-day event will give delegates an opportunity to find out about some latest developments in this field and network with leading experts in the UK.