Once again, this event - now firmly established as the showcase event for wood energy in Ireland - combines a professional conference with exhibition - plus a site visit and practical demonstrations into one comprehensive event.

Bioenergy 2010 will showcase the use and deployment of solid biomass - in particular, wood energy - and raise awareness across all sectors - from the landowner to the end user. Growing, harvesting and using wood fuels and energy crop products to generate heat, electricity and fuel for homes and businesses, will be clearly demonstrated and explained.

The introduction of financial incentives has been crucial in the stimulation, development, demonstration and deployment of wood heating technologies. For example, under the ReHeat Programme administered by SEAI, many high energy users in the industrial, commercial, public and community sectors are now experiencing the many benefits of biomass heating.

Ireland has the potential to develop an indigenous fuel supply from forestry and wood industry by-product for domestic, industrial and export markets. Today, we are seeing the installation of pellet stoves to heat a single room and automatic wood-fuelled boilers heating homes, public and commercial buildings such as hospitals, schools, hotels and leisure centres. Other potential industrial and commercial markets in Ireland include the food and drink, pharmaceutical and wood processing sectors, as well as the housing and commercial building sector.

In recent years, the wood heating market in Ireland has witnessed substantial growth and, amidst concerns over escalating fuel prices, security of supply, availability and vulnerability of finite fuel resources, we see an expanded range of 21st-century wood fuels - pellets, chips, briquettes and log wood are all particularly well adapted to domestic, commercial and industrial needs as Ireland warms to wood energy.

Leading technology experts will share their experiences and expertise with sessions dedicated to the policy drivers, market potential and development, impacts of increasing the use of wood energy on a regional and national scale and boosting local economies through increased use of wood energy and its end use.

There will also be an opportunity for Site Visits and Demonstrations -