CHILDREN at a primary school near Tavistock will be kept warm with 'green' energy next winter.

Gulworthy Primary School is installing a biomass boiler as part of a £60,000 project.

Biomass boilers generate renewable heat and hot water by burning biomass such as wood rather than fossil fuels such as natural gas.

The boiler at Gulworthy will be powered by wood pellets – a 'carbon neutral' process because wood emits the same amount of CO2 when burned as it absorbed from the atmosphere during its growth. A monitor in the school buildings will enable pupils to keep track of how much energy the boiler is generating and the amount of carbon dioxide they have saved to date. The boiler project has received a £27,000 grant from the Government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme, a £15,000 contribution from EDF Energy and an £8,000 grant from The Co-operative Green Energy for Schools scheme. Headteacher Melody Nicholls said: "This biomass boiler will make our school more sustainable so that we can set an example to the wider community and create an impressive resource for educating pupils about renewable energy."