The View from Northern Ireland: A series of workshops exploring the benefits of heating with biomass and the renewable heat incentive (RHI) for farms and rural businesses will be held over the coming weeks. The workshops will be held in association with local businesses supplying biomass fuel, boilers or utilising heat from biomass.

The first workshops will be in association with Balcas Brites in Enniskillen. These workshops will discuss the available boiler types, fuel delivery systems, storage requirements and fuel types along with the benefits of converting to biomass. Making an application for the Commercial RHI will also be discussed.

There will be an opportunity to attend a guided tour of the wood pellet production plant at Balcas, 75 Killadeas Road, Laragh, Ballinamallard, Enniskillen, BT94 2ES.

The workshops will be held at Balcas on 8 Thursday and 20 Tuesday August from 10.30am and 14.30pm each day.

The number of places for these workshops will be strictly limited, so it is important to book your place as early as possible.

To book your place at any of the events, please email Denise Andrews at  or telephone Technology Admin on 0044 28 9442 6770.

Further heat from biomass workshops include a visit to Colebrooke Estate, Brookeborough, in association with Original Heating on Tuesday 24 September, and to a willow grower/supplier in association with Northern Bio Energy on Thursday 3 October.

By Cathal Ellis, Renewable Energy Technologist, Greenmount Campus, CAFRE

Pictured Cathal Ellis with the pellet boiler that delivers heat to staff accommodation in the new dairy unit at Greenmount Campus