Wood edges as an ecological heat source

Cvba Landscape Energy joins hands with municipality of Bocholt to deploy wood edging.

Wood edges long played a crucial role in heating, cooking and agriculture. However, the rows of trees and shrubs along roads and fields became redundant with the rise of coal, petroleum and natural gas.

Until recently, wood edges were no longer utilised. But with the rise of a circular economy with its ecological principles, this changed. Landscape Energy worked with Bocholt municipality and partners to develop a plan to market biomass from wood edges locally, while respecting biodiversity. The link between wood edges and heating was quickly established, and wood edges were used to make wood chips.

A roadmap was drawn up to make best use of wood edges without having a negative impact on biodiversity within the wood edges. In the first step of the plan, the agricultural sector, nature, heritage and the municipality of Bocholt work together to draw up a wood edging plan identifying the different types of wood edging.

After all wood edges have been mapped, exotic plant control will begin. This involves removing exotic plants that threaten to displace native plant species. In this way, the biodiversity value within the wood edges is increased.

Then it is time to harvest the wood edges. Local farmers are responsible for trimming the wood edges, cutting the branches just above the ground to create space for new branches to grow.

As a final step, the pruned wood is dried. This is vital when the branches are used in the woodchip stove for heating. As a result, classrooms are heated in an ecological way and the landscape once again provides opportunities for biodiversity.

Photo: landschapsenergiecvba