Belle Isle Castle Goes Green

Wood Pellets to Replace Oil

In March 2006 the installation at Belle Isle Castle of a new wood-pellet burning boiler was completed. The innovative Austrian KWB USV D 100kW boiler system is made up of a 2000 litre accumulator tank, a 3-phase converter and ascending feed screw with its own drive unit. A fibreglass storage silo, holding 9 tonnes, was also erected outside, fibreglass being the preferred material for storing wood pellets. This new boiler will now provide both heat and hot water for the castle for about 8 months of the year. However, during the warmer summer months when only hot water is required the castle will continue to use electricity.

Belle Isle Castle currently consumes approximately 25,900 litres of oil per annum which should be reduced by approximately 85% with this new system. A certain amount of oil will still be required to fuel the aga cookers. The 22,000 litres of oil will be replaced by approximately 53 tonnes of wood pellets (based on approximately 2.4kg of wood pellets replacing 1 litre of oil). Assuming current oil prices hold, it is hoped that the new system will have paid for itself within 5 years. Most importantly this new system will not only reduce the cost of heating but will greatly reduce pollution through emissions of carbon dioxide. Burning 22,000 litres of oil creates 57.2 tonnes of carbon emissions whereas wood pellets are carbon-neutral.

We hope to greatly increase awareness of the potential for wood energy through its installation at Belle Isle Castle, a busy tourist destination with a significant amount of public access.

This project received a capital grant from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, through Action Renewables, Innovative Demonstration of Wood Heating and Heat Pumps Scheme, The boiler was installed by Rural Generation Ltd of Londonderry www.ruralgeneration.com and the wood pellets are supplied by Balcas Limited, Co. Fermanagh www.Balcas.com.

If you are interested in seeing the pellet burner at work please contact Charles Plunket the agent at Belle Isle Estate.

Belle Isle Estate
Lisbellaw, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, BT94 5HG
Telephone +44 (0) 28 6638 7231 Facsimile +44 (0) 28 6638 7261
Email accommodation@belleislecastle.com