Heating with heather – Renewable energy from nature conservation landscape management

Dwarf shrub heathlands are numerous in Lusatia due to the natural conditions, e.g. in the Niederlausitzer Heidelandschaft Nature Park, on power line and gas pipeline routes as well as on former and active airfields and military training areas. Most of these habitats are now endangered as a result of the abandonment of historical use. Without maintenance, e.g. by mowing or grazing, the heather becomes overaged and the areas turn into forest due to invading birch and pine trees.

However, the preservation of these open-land biotopes is an essential cornerstone in safeguarding the biodiversity of the Lusatian cultural landscape. As they form the basis of life for numerous highly endangered animal and plant species, heath biotopes are subject to special protection under § 30 BNatSchG. Therefore, regular maintenance measures are necessary at intervals of several years, which produce considerable amounts of potentially usable biomass.

Our project starts here by utilising the raw material heather from landscape management for energy utilisation and creating regional added value. For this purpose, the biomass is pelletised in order to be marketed as fuel and converted into a climate-neutral use. This not only creates a synergetic effect between nature conservation and biomass use, but also opens up a new business field in the area of renewable energies in the region: Purchasing power stays in the region and strengthens the regional economy. Until the market entry of the finished heather pellet can actually be realised, the entire value chain from the harvesting of the heather to the preparation for marketing will be considered in this project.