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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Nov 1986

Vol. 370 No. 3

Written Answers. - Short Rotation Forestry Trials.

25.

asked the Minister for Energy the up-to-date position as regards the results from trials in short rotation forestry for biomass production; and if trials are being funded by the EC.

Trials on short rotation forestry have been undertaken by An Foras Talúntais, the Forest and Wildlife Service and Bord na Móna. All of these trials were funded by the EC under their Research, Development and Demonstration programme. Further trials involving two farmers in County Leitrim were undertaken by the National Board for Science and Technology. The results of all these trials have been mixed. Target yields of dry matter were attained where the optimum combination of special soil type, plant spacing and fertilisation was present.

An Foras Talúntais is continuing its research in relation to species, soil types and yields with the assistance of EC funding. They have signed two new contracts this year with the EC. One of these contracts involves the storage and drying of forest biomass and the other is an economic evaluation of renewable derived fuels from short rotation forestry and other sources. An Foras Talúntais is also a minor partner in a 1986 UK research project on the gasification of short rotation forestry biomass.

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