Projektets övergripande mål är att lokalt möta målsättningen om förnyelsebar energianvändning och bli ett föredöme för andra regioner genom den högsta bioenergianvändningen inom EU. Skogsägare hjälps till att utnyttja skogen till högre inkomster och större mängder levererad biomassa från alla typer av skogsbestånd. Större virkesvolymer och nya sortiment genererar arbetstillfällen och nya affärsmodeller för skogsentreprenörer, maskintillverkare och bioenergiföretag. Rekommendationer till energikooperativ rörande småskalig förbränning utarbetas med energieffektivitet och låga emissioner i fokus. Short information about the project Forest Power The project Forest Power was a cooperation between partners in all three countries; Allskog AB in Norway, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Mellersta Österbottens Landsbygdsinstitut, Centria and Mellersta Österbottens Skogsägarförbundet in Finland and SLU, the University of Umeå and BioFuel Region in Sweden. The total budget of the project was 3 639 126 € of which EU financed 48% €. The project used 94,3% of their total budget. In addition the Norwegian part was allocated 5 352 000 NOK from Norwegian financiers. Overall, the project was set up to • help reach the renewable energy goals and greenhouse gas emission levels set by the EU 1997-White Paper for Renewable Energy and the Renewable Energy Road Map by increasing the share of sustainable and renewable energy sources from the forests in Botnia-Atlantica area up to the highest level in EU; • increase the value and quality of products and services with in the forest fuel supply, feedstock conversion and combustion chains, and; • increase the general knowledge about the renewable forest energy sources and utilization within the Botnia-Atlantica area. Achievements: Project work has proceeded well between the partners without any significant difficulties. The project has done research on the whole energy wood procurement and conversion chain from forest to energy and heating plant. As a result, the project has produced information of new and more efficient ways of wood procurement, the ways in which the quality management of raw material can be improved, ways in which the conversion process at small-scale heating plants can be improved, and has developed new business models for self-employed energy wood contracting. In short, the project's impact has been the following: • The utilization of renewable energy has increased in the Botnia-Atlantica area in private households, farms, enterprises, cooperatives and district heating plants. New heating plants have been set up during the project period and more are expected to start up later on. • Forest biomass reserves are better utilized when small-sized stem, crown biomass and stumps are taken into use. Energy cooperatives are better able to put a price on the heat they have produced which reflects on the whole procurement chain. • New machine entrepreneurs have started up in the energy wood sector. • Energy efficiency and feedstock quality have improved. Heating plants are more aware of the factors that affect boiler efficiency and emissions, and are able to adjust the boiler behaviour themselves. • Forest owners have received information and help to support their activities in the programme-area. New contacts have been made and a lot of networking has taken place, which can lead to, for example, new project ideas. • Contacts with actors on the forest and energy sector have been made also by working together with other EU-projects.