THE growth in popularity of biomass energy provision is spreading across North Yorkshire with a Thirsk-based plant grower adopting the energy efficient technology.

Family-run Earley Ornamentals is one of the first Yorkshire young plant growers to invest in biomass technology, having completed the installation of a biomass heating system.

Earley, an independent UK producer and supplier of young plants, has commissioned the installation of two biomass boilers, with outputs of 950kW and 199kW respectively.

The combination of the two boilers will service the site’s six acres of glasshouses in York Road.

The move is set to save the business, which operates on a 12-acre site in total, 664 tones of CO2 each year.

Earley Ornamentals managing director Simon Earley explained the motivation behind the installation of the biomass system.

He said: “As an energy intensive business we are always looking at ways of reducing our impact on the environment, not to mention spiralling fuel costs. Biomass brings much lower carbon emissions, improves energy efficiency by more than 20 per cent and, by sourcing the wood chips locally allows us to support our rural economy.”

The design and installation of the biomass heating system was co-ordinated by a specialist team, which worked to retain the site’s gas-oil system for back-up and disaster recovery purposes.

Working closely with biomass boiler supplier Ashwell Biomass Solutions, EBTech Solutions plumbed the boilers into Earley’s system and electrical specialist TCE carried out the electrical work.

All groundwork and the conversion of an existing barn, which will house 18 tonnes of wood chips to fuel the biomass boilers, was completed by J Kool Engineers.

The new heating systems will allow Earley to continue growing more than 180 million plants, made up of 1,500 varieties, every year.