EXMOUTH JOURNAL (UK) 29 May 08 Keeping crocodiles warm
Clinton Devon Estates is to supply environmentally friendly fuel to heat a brand new home for crocodiles, turtles and giant snakes.
The Devon landowner has joined forces with Forest Fuels Ltd of Shebbear to create a supply of wood chip to fuel a biomass boiler for the new crocodile swamp exhibit at Paignton Zoo.
Clinton Devon Estates has invested £45k in the new Dotton depot, near Newton Poppleford, to ensure an efficient supply chain for the fuel.
The conversion of an old farm building was supported by the Defra Bio Energy Infrastructure grant scheme.
Initially the depot supplied Clinton's own wood fuel heating systems, now Paignton Zoo has become the first commercial customer.
John Wilding, Clinton's forestry manager, said: "We have created a strategic reserve of woodchip which we hope will provide a catalyst for the growth of this sustainable fuel market. The fact that we can supply on this scale and that fuel is readily available into the foreseeable future should give a great deal of confidence to anyone looking for a green heating source for a large property."
The boiler will use 50 to 70 tonnes of wood chip each year, heating the air in the habitat to 22C and the pool water to 25C.
The woodchip comes from the lowest quality timber and would previously have been transported to North Devon or North Wales to be made into chipboard.
Now it is being processed within ten miles of where the trees were grown. It is dried before being chipped and stored ready for use.
The zoo deal has come through Forest Fuels, a South West wood fuel supply company founded in 2000 which now supplies a range of clients including the MOD, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Eden Project and local authorities around the region.
The company generates more than 3,000 tonnes of wood fuel per year.
David Rickwood, Forest Fuels' operations manager, said he was 'delighted' Clinton Devon Estates had made such a firm commitment to the wood fuel market.
He said: "While many companies, organisations and individuals are attracted by the green credentials of wood fuel, potential clients need to be reassured that there is an ongoing and reliable source of this sustainable fuel.
"Clinton's investment in infrastructure to supply this growing market has helped to reinforce our message that using wood fuel is not only a sound environmental choice but that it also makes sense in practical and financial terms.
"We believe it will become an even more attractive option as we all strive to meet local and national renewable energy targets in the years to come.
Keeping crocodiles warm