The UK’s Biomass Energy Centre has launched a website to provide a portal for technical information, grant availability and best practice guidance on bio-energy production and end use.

Announcing the launch at the UK Renewable Energy Association’s Bio-energy Conference, British climate change minister Ian Pearson said that the UK government is actively developing a biomass heat capital grant scheme, as called for in its Biomass Task Force report, as well as a Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme to support fuel producers.

Pearson also revealed that DEFRA ( UK Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs) is currently mapping its own estate to assess its suitability for biomass heating and will go on to map other departments in pursuit of plans to make the government estate carbon neutral by 2012. He added that there will be some major business opportunities arising from the government’s plans. The UK Biomass Energy Centre’s website is at www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk