In Europe, 96% of all renewable heat comes from wood. In Ireland, the Government White Paper on Energy policy set a target of 12% of thermal energy to come from renewable sources by 2020 with an interim target of 5% by 2010.

Coillte is strategically positioning the biomass resource to play an important part in contributing to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and climate change mitigation for Ireland. Forestry can act as a sink for the removal for CO2  from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and biomass can substitute fossil fuels such as oil and gas thereby reducing Irelands carbon production. For industries that rely on fossil fuels, switching to biomass would result in a reduction in the annual energy costs of the business while circumventing future carbon tax levies in place or being proposed.

The combination of security of supply and technology expertise enables Coillte to offer large process heat and steam users an enhanced market value proposition via a turnkey solution appropriate to their requirements. Coillte is focusing on providing process heat, steam and CHP solutions for its clients at a competitive rate when compared to fossil fuel alternatives. Coillte will also handle all the wood chip logistics and will manage the ash removal.