At the Ploughing Championships at Tullamore, Co Offaly today, Minister of State for Forestry, Andrew Doyle TD presented Clearpower, one of the main wood fuel and heating companies, with its membership of the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance Scheme. The scheme, which is run by the Irish Bioenergy Association – IrBEA, and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, covers Wood Logs, Wood Briquettes, Wood Pellets and Wood Chip.

Speaking at the presentation the Minister said, “I am delighted to be here today to present Clearpower, one of the main woodfuel companies with its certificate of membership of the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance Scheme. The use of certified wood fuels is an important part of the growth of the forest-based biomass sector in Ireland. My Department supports the scheme as part of our commitment to fostering forest-based jobs and developing rural economies.”

The Minister went on to say, “Properly assured wood fuel means the consumer gets value for money from sustainably grown biomass. Assurance also supports the growth of wood fuel in Ireland, which reached close on 1.3 million cubic metres last year. That is equivalent to over 30,000 truckloads of timber leaving Irish forests each year.”

Mr Ciarán O’Meara of Clearpower said, “As an established provider of biomass fuel and maintenance services Clearpower Ltd. has long recognised the importance of a Wood Fuel Quality Assurance scheme to both industry stakeholders and consumers alike. Offering turnkey commercial biomass solutions incorporating design, build and operational services as well as fuel processing and supply, we at Clearpower are delighted to be WFQA certified.”

Ms Pat Murphy, Chair of the WFQA added “I am delighted that WFQA has continued to expand its membership and reach into the marketplace. We are determined to fully embrace consumer needs by providing quality assured wood fuels at a range of outlets across the country. We are always looking to improve our scheme, and to that end it has been updated to incorporate the latest European CEN woodfuel standards. So consumers should always be on the lookout for our bright flame logo that you can find at www.wfqa.org.”

Note for editors

Clearpower is one of the main bioenergy companies working across Ireland and the UK. They specialise in biomass solutions producing heat and electricity from WFQA certified wood chip and wood pellets. The Clearpower wood fuel supply division is focused on delivering WFQA certified virgin wood chip to the consumer. 

For further information on the IrBEA Wood Fuel Quality Assurance Scheme please contact Mr Noel Gavigan at 087 6845977, or visit www.wfqa.org.

To view this Press Release as a PDF: DAFMPR 116/2016 (pdf 372Kb) 

At the Ploughing Championships at Tullamore, Co Offaly today, Minister of State for Forestry, Andrew Doyle TD presented Clearpower, one of the main wood fuel and heating companies, with its membership of the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance Scheme. (From L to R) Ciarán O’Meara, Clearpower, Minister of State for Forestry, Andrew Doyle T.D. & Pat Murphy, WFQA.

Date Released: 20 September 2016