The data was gathered in 2017 from universities, schools, hospitals and other government and business buildings where heating oil systems were replaced with modern wood heating facilities that use wood pellets and wood chip.
The main findings further indicate that
£4,245 million
£4,850 million
Wood fuel usage
19k tons of wood pellets were used to heat the buildings along with 45k tons of wood chip, the report reveals. It is worth noting that the study did not include the residential or industrial use of wood fuel heating system whatsoever.
Economy aspect
However, both sectors have grown significantly in the last decade and make substantial contributions to the local economy in terms of creating jobs and being environmentally friendly.
Future plans
Maine is considered to be one of the most dependent states in the USA when it comes to importing fossil heating fuels which is why the further transition toward wood heating solutions can generate an economic opportunity at a time when other low-grade forest product markets are declining.
According to Doug Denico, the director of the Maine Forest Service
It’s clear that advanced wood heating technology is generating significant benefits for Maine. Modern, clean wood chip and pellet boilers are now heating a wide array of bigger buildings in our state. By switching to wood fuels, we keep our fuel dollars here, support our local economy and improve our forest resource base by strengthening markets for low-grade wood.
