News
An Industrial
Strategy for
decarbonising
oil-heated homes
THE UK AND REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
GOVERNMENTS HAVE BOTH INDICATED THAT
DECARBONISING THE EMISSIONS FROM
OIL-HEATED HOMES WILL BE AN IMPORTANT
PRIORITY
A good starting point
I
nvited to see a biofuelled oil boiler in action by Worcester Bosch, Jane Raphael,
editor of Fuel Oil News and Oil Installer, and deputy editor, Peter Clayton were very
pleased to accept.
Touring the shop floor first, operations manager, Peter Wragsdale, proved to be an
excellent guide. It was interesting to learn that the Clay Cross facility, which can receive
up to 40 tonnes of steel a day, manufactures every component of its oil-fired boiler range
by cutting, folding, punching and welding the raw material. The only exception being one
small piece which must be finished externally to form its requisite shape. Up to 15,000
components are produced by the press shop every day for the 36 different variants on
offer to those using oil-fired heating.
O
FTEC supports these policy goals and is
working to help these governments achieve
their emissions reduction targets.
OFTEC has concluded that simple, less costly
solutions are far more likely to be successful than
those that are more costly or disruptive, which is
why OFTEC favours changing the fuel, rather than
switching to a completely different heat technology.
Consequently, OFTEC has proposed retaining
existing oil heating systems and instead replacing
the fuel with a sustainable low carbon liquid fuel
manufactured from waste material.
Following detailed research OFTEC has
published a new strategy document for the UK which
includes policy recommendations for government.
A similar strategy document has also been
produced for the Republic of Ireland.
Find out more at
www.oftec.org/future-heating
Paul Rose, OFTEC CEO, Peter Clayton and Jane Raphael and Martyn Bridges,
director of technical communication and product management, Worcester
Bosch, with the oil-fired boiler modified to B30K biofuel
Having seen oil-fired boilers ready to leave the factory, training engineer Alan
Moody explained that the demonstration boiler was exactly the same, bar a tweak to
the ignition. Some older boilers may possibly require nozzle or burner adjustments. The
difference is that this boiler’s fuel is 30% biofuel. Supplied by Argent Energy, the bio
element is made up of waste products such as used cooking oil, chip fat and tallow which
would otherwise go to landfill.
The primary aim of this demonstration boiler, which is monitored alongside a
conventional kerosene boiler, is to show policy makers, engineers and installers just what
can be achieved by using waste products to help lower carbon levels.
‘A good starting point’ for OFTEC CEO, Paul Rose, who was also present; OFTEC has
long been a champion of biofuels. Indeed, biofuels trials and research commissioned by
OFTEC has already established that a high percentage of existing oil-fired boilers would
require little or no modification to run on B30K or higher.
As always good housekeeping will be essential for both tank and boiler to operate
efficiently, with fuel tanks needing to be fit for purpose and thoroughly cleaned out
before storing biofuels.
See page 7 for news of a 50-year old oil-fired boiler that has only just been
replaced!
4 Fuel Oil News | January 2020