Do bio-crops have power to make Daventry self-sufficient?
A study will be carried out to see if Daventry has the potential to develop its own eco-friendly heat and power supply for households. Daventry District Council has asked environmental and energy experts to explore the possibility of using biomass technology to generate electricity and provide heating for homes and businesses as the town faces rapid expansion over the next 15 years. The study will look into Biomass Fuelled Combined Heat and Power (Bio-CHP) – where crops such as miscanthus, commonly known as ‘elephant grass’, and willow trees could be grown by local farmers and burned for energy instead of traditional fossil fuels. Wind and solar power will also be considered. Biomass technology is almost carbon neutral, because the CO 2 released as crops are burned will be soaked up by others still growing. It is also between 70 and 90 per cent energy efficient, compared to the 30-40 per cent efficiency of conventional power stations where the rest is lost through heat wastage. Residen
