How oil-heated homes can best transition to a low-to-zero carbon heating solution and reduce their overall emissions will be unveiled at OFTEC’s 2019 annual conference later this month.
During the event on Tuesday 18 June at The Hilton Puckrup Hotel near Tewkesbury, OFTEC CEO Paul Rose will update members and guests on the importance of taking action to support the decarbonisation of rural homes and the liquid fuel heating industry’s central role in achieving this.
OFTEC will be joined by Jason Woods, founding partner of energy consultancy group, In Perpetuum Partners, who will share the findings of the six-month research project they have now completed for OFTEC. This investigated the potential of liquid biofuels, provided detailed analysis of the oil-heated housing stock and included modelling which compared the rival low carbon energy solutions for these homes.
Technical director at Kiwa UK Group, Mark Crowther, who has provided guidance to the Committee on Climate Change, will also share an insight into the role hydrogen could play in decarbonising the heat and transport sectors.
At the AGM that follows the conference, Laurance Coey, managing director at Harlequin Manufacturing, will be appointed as the new OFTEC chairman as Niall Fay steps down from the role following his two-year tenure.
Commenting on the event, OFTEC CEO Paul Rose said: “This year’s conference comes at an important time as the issue of climate change continues to dominate the political and public agenda and the urgent need to find sustainable and realistic solutions grows stronger.
“OFTEC fully shares this ambition and, since we met at our conference last year, real and significant progress to develop an alternative fuel for the UK’s oil using homes has been made. This includes the completion of the in-depth research we commissioned at the end of last year and we look forward to more widely sharing the positive findings of this study next month, as well as outlining the next steps we need to take towards delivering our realistic, long term solution.
“As government ramps up its decarbonisation agenda, we will continue to engage directly with the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to push biofuels as the most cost-effective and practical solution to decarbonise oil heated homes. It’s therefore now more important than ever for the liquid fuel heating sector to rally together around a common set of goals and demonstrate an ability and willingness to evolve.”