Bradford is to host a national renewable energy conference highlighting the use of biomass boilers which are run on wood chips.

The venue for the major event on Monday, March 15, is City Hall, which is one of two key authority buildings in the district already heated using wood fuel.

New Government proposals designed to expand the use of renewable energy sources will be discussed at the conference ahead of plans to introduce a Renewable Heat Incentive scheme next year.

The Forestry Commission and White Rose Forest are staging consultation events on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change at City Hall to explain the proposals and prompt feedback on the scheme.

Rudie Humphrey, regional wood fuel co-ordinator at the Forestry Commission, said: “It’s a major coup to get this event in Bradford and shows that we are in the vanguard of exploring and installing greener forms of heating in this region. According to a recent survey Yorkshire and the Humber has more biomass heat boilers than anywhere else in England.

‘‘This consultation event is a chance to find out more about what incentives could be available and have a say about shaping a cleaner and greener future.”

The Council alone owns more than 2,175 acres of woodland and has now lodged a grant application with the DECC to create a processing building at Peel Park allowing it to produce more wood chips from its own timber to help fuel its biomass boilers.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the Council’s executive member for environment and culture, said: “We are working hard as a Council to do as much as we can to reduce our carbon footprint and develop a more sustainable energy strategy for the future.’’ The other biomass boiler is based at Ilkley Town Hall.

The consultation event is aimed at businesses and organisations – to register call (01904) 382317 or e-mail: rudie.humphrey@forestry.

gsi.gov.uk.