A recent s
tudy tour undertaken by the West Cork Development Partnership was most interesting and allowed us to gain a practical understanding of two key sub-sectors of the bioenergy sector in Finland, namely anaerobic digestion and wood fuel production. Key points arising from the study tour include:
– Finland is one of the most advanced countries in Europe and the world in the field of bioenergy arising from forestry activities. Wood fuels fulfil a very significant part of the overall national energy demand; its supply chain is very well established and represents an important source of revenue for forest owners. While Ireland has a much smaller forestry sector, the need for increased forest management among private owners in particular offers opportunities for growing significantly the wood fuel supply chain. A lot could be learned by local stakeholders from the Finnish experience and technology in this area.
– While anaerobic digestion is still a new field in Finland, both projects visited are very relevant to the Irish situation and representative of the type of agri-based projects to be promoted here. The anaerobic digestion plants seen in Finland are a testimony to the Finnish drive for innovation in farming and organic waste management, and should inspire similar projects here.
– The partnership between Ireland and Finland via the two regional Leader companies participating in this transnational programme offers a very useful channel for know-how exchange and technology transfer in the field of bioenergy. In all cases, the people and organisations met were extremely helpful and willing to make their time and experience available to the Irish visitors during the tour.
– On the basis of the experience gained during the study tour, it is recommended to plan further exchanges between the relevant bioenergy stakeholders in both regions for example in the form of study tours and training programmes.
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