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Woodpile at Smithies Depot, where waste wood is converted to biomass fuel.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) has installed nearly 1 MW of wood-chip boilers in council flats and buildings. A further 800 kW is currently being commissioned and more planned, and it has set up a supply chain to produce wood-chip from council tree-waste.

Barnsley is situated in an old coal-mining area: many residents used to be employed as miners and many properties are still heated by coal-fired boilers. The Council disposes of many tonnes of wood waste from its parks and gardens each year. In June 2004, Barnsley MBC adopted a Biomass Implementation Policy, committing it to considering biomass heating systems for all new and refurbished buildings. It has already completed a 470 kW wood-fuelled district heating scheme for 166 flats, and a 500 kW scheme for the council depot. Both of these replaced old coal boilers, but the next scheme will use 800 kW of wood-fuelled district heating in new office buildings, in preference to gas. This work has enabled a small wood-chip supply business to start up, and Barnsley MBC is also starting its own wood-chip supply from Council waste. There is plenty of scope to go further, with 133 coal boilers still in place in Council-owned properties; and significant further potential for local wood supply from forestry management and coppice