Borders Machinery Ring
In association with
Renewables
Case Studies: Woodfuel Supply – Chips
Woodfuel:
W
oodfuel is a low
cost alternative to
conventional fossil fuels which
has the potential to deliver
significant savings on heating
bills for both domestic and
commercial properties, in
February 2013 delivered
heat from woodchip fuel was
approximately half the cost
of heating oil. It is a carbon
lean source of energy which, if
sourced sustainably and locally
and used efficiently, can deliver
carbon emissions reductions of
90% + compared to fossil fuels.
The introduction of the
Renewable Heat Incentive,
which provides a financial
incentive over 20 yrs for the
production of renewable heat,
creates an increased incentive
for people throughout the
Scottish Borders to switch to
wood fuel to meet heating
demands, whilst gaining an
additional income stream.
There is an existing and growing
network of woodfuel suppliers
throughout the Scottish Borders
who can deliver a sustainable
and consistent supply of quality
woodfuel to meet your needs,
examples of just a few of these
can be found in this case study.
❚ You can source your
wood chip supply through
BMR, contact them to find
information on your nearest
supplier.
Calculating your fuel
requirements:
Your fuel requirements will
depend upon the moisture
content and species type of the
wood fuel and the load factor,
efficiency and up-time of your
boiler:
Fuel Costs:
Will be determined by size of
delivery and transport distance.
To maximise sustainability
and reduce transport costs
the maximum distance for
the transport of woodfuel is
approximately 20 miles.
BMR can assist in calculating
your likely fuel requirements.
Buying woodfuel: Considerations when buying chip
BMR
members
have a readily
available
bank of
wood fuel
processing
equipment
which can be
contracted
for processing
wood fuel,
contact BMR
for further
details.
❚ When buying chip, a contract based upon a
payment per kilowatt hour of heat delivered
will provide a better service for customers,
as they are paying for the heat used without
needing to monitor for any variations in the
fuel supply. In this case the onus is on the
supplier to provide the highest quality chip.
❚ The specifications for your boiler will
determine the particle size and moisture
content requirements of your fuel and
should be adhered to, check your local
suppliers can deliver fuel to match.
❚ Plan your wood chip deliveries in advancecheck with your supplier what the minimum
notification period required is.
❚ Make sure that your delivery/storage
system is designed to take fuel from
a number of suppliers in case you
need to change supplier at any point
❚ Is there sufficient space for the delivery
vehicle? Would an articulated lorry
be able to get to site?
❚ What volume can you accept?
❚ Will the load be tipped? Is the roof high
enough?
❚ Does the chip require being lifted into the
hopper?
NOTE: Manual handling during delivery should
be minimised to avoid extra cost
For further
information
on chip supply
see the BMR
website
Plan and order
your wood fuel
supply well
in advance to
avoid any risk of
running out of
fuel, especially
at Christmas –
see your supplier
for minimum
ordering period.
Woodfuel
Accreditation:
The European
Committee for
Standardization
(CEN) has
developed
standards
for woodfuel
biomass energy
which allow
all relevant
properties
of the fuel to
be described
and woodfuel
suppliers across
The Scottish
Borders will
work to these.
Based upon
the CEN
standards the
Woodsure+Plus
accreditation
scheme certified
by HETAS has
been introduced,
it helps to
guarantee a high
standard and
reliability in the
supply chain for
potential wood
chip customers.
For further information, advice on a range of renewables, woodfuel training and to discuss pre-feasibility studies regarding Solar PV, Biomass,
wind power or micro hydro opportunities, please contact BMR Renewables: Matt McKerrow: [email protected] or by phone 01896 758 091
Have you reviewed your energy efficiency?
If properties are insulated for energy efficiency purposes after installation of a biomass boiler the overall heat demand and
therefore maximum required capacity of your boiler may be less than when the system was installed. Is is advisable to take any
steps to increase a properties energy efficiency prior to installation of a biomass boiler to ensure correct system specification.
Renewables
Sustainability of supply
Forestry Commission Scotland’s Wood Fuel Task Force Report 2011
states that there is currently the equivalent of around 432,000
oven dried tonnes (ODT) of untapped wood resource annually
in Scotland. It also suggests that improving timber production
rates suggest this could at least double within the next ten years.
Forestry Commission Scotland estimate that small undermanaged
woodlands in the Scottish Borders, alone, could yield in the order of
100,000 cubic metres of timber each year.
In order to ensure sustainable land use, The Renewable Heat
Incentive and the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) outline
sustainability criteria for wood fuel, to ensure sustainable land use
and a minimum level of carbon emissions reduction. Sustainability
criteria for the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, will dictate
that, from April 2014, in order to be eligible for the RHI, biomass
installations will be required to demonstrate, either through
reporting or sourcing from an approved supplier, that their biomass
meets a greenhouse gas lifecycle emissions limit target.
Timber from forests in Scotland is regulated by the UK Forestry
Standard, which sets out the UK’s approach to sustainable forest
management. The key to sustainability is local production for local
supply.
Roxburghe Estates
R
oxburghe Estates have approximately 1600 hectares of woodlands
based around Kelso with an annual small roundwood production
of around 2000 tonnes, derived principally from thinning but also
clearfellings.
In 2008 the Estate installed a 720 Kw woodchip boiler at Floors castle to
heat the castle and the garden centre. The Estate purchased a Heizohack
HM8 400 woodchipper to turn its own timber into high quality woodchips
for the Floors boiler which currently burns around 500 tonnes of
woodchips per annum. On the back of this, the Estate has developed an
expanding external supply to customers who have installed woodchip
boilers in the local area.
Woodchip Production
Cost
Timber is cut from the Estate
woodlands and left to dry for
at least a year to reduce the
moisture content to around
25%. It is then transported to
Bowmont Forest Sawmill where it
is stored and chipped as required
into the woodchip storage shed.
The Heizohack woodchipper
has the facility to produce G30
(cross section of 3cm squared,
length 85 mm) or G50 (Cross
section of 5cm squared, length
120mm) specification high quality
woodchips.
Prices are depended on quantity
required, location and method of
delivery. Prices start from around
£80 per tonne ex Bowmont Forest
Sawmill.
Guarantee of
consistent quality
Roxburghe Estates guarantee
of quality is the fact that they
use their woodchip in their own
boiler, stating that they would not
sell any woodchips
they would not
burn in their own
boiler. The Estate
is currently going
through the process
of becoming an
accredited member
of Woodsure.
Delivery
Roxburghe Estate offer a full range of
delivery options from small amounts
in 1m3 “dumpy” bags, tipping or
blow trailers to articulated lorry
loads.
Chipping Service
Roxburghe Estate offer a chipping
service to local owners of woodlands
within a 30 miles radius of Kelso, who
have their own timber for chipping.
Prices for chipping vary according to
location, type and dimensions of the
timber. They are happy to make a
free site visit to discuss options.
Angus Biofuels
A
ngus Biofuels are a designer, supplier and maintainer of biomass
systems, currently operating, maintaining or providing fuel for over
70 biomass boilers. With currently 10 + customers in the Borders they
supply around 1500 tonnes of wood chip per year to the region, they
have the capacity to at least treble that figure.
They buy timber from estates, landowners and farmers in Borders and
also have their own woodlands further north in Scotland.
Woodchip Production
Timber is either left at roadside,
or brought to their depot and
weathered for 12-18 mths then
chipped into a wood chip storage
shed prior to delivery
Guarantee of
consistent quality
This gives customers assurance
that the fuel they are purchasing
fulfils the appropriate specification
for their equipment and that the
supplier has procedures in place to
check that the fuel is consistently
manufactured to these standards.
Delivery
Angus Biofuels can produce G30
specification (cross section of
3cm squared, length 85 mm) or
G50 specification (Cross section
of 5cm squared, length 120mm)
high quality woodchips. Wood
chip produced has a moisture
content ranging between 2029.99%, woodchip can be dried
further at the depot if necessary.
Accreditation: All wood chip
from Angus Biofuels is Woodsure
accredited. This means that these
products have been tested to
ensure they meet the EN and
Önorm standards for woodfuel
quality that have become the
established measure in the
European biomass industry.
Angus Biofuels deliver to the
customer, or the customer can
collect wood chip from their
depot. Wood chip is sold by the
kW/hr, cubic meter or by tonne,
no minimum order. Wood chip is
delivered by Tractor & trailer, blower
wagon or a moving floor artic,
dependent on an individual sites
requirement
Supply radius
Angus Biofuels will look at potential
customers on a case by case basis,
dependent upon the ease of delivery
and size of fuel store.
Planning woodchip storage:
Speak to your fuel supplier before
building a fuel store, to ensure ease
of delivery in as large quantities as
practical, this may make for a larger
initial capital spend but will ensure
cheaper fuel supply over the lifetime
of the biomass boiler.
Angus Biofuels may provide a
contract chipping service upon
request.
d
Avoiing
burnet
w d
woo
Net Calorific Value of Wood
kW/tonne
6000
5000
The moisture
4000
content (MC) of
woodfuel has the
3000
CV
greatest effect on
it’s calorific content, 2000
the amount of heat
1000
available per unit
0
(volume) of fuel.
50%
35%
25%
0% Moisture Content
A fresh green log
of about average
The above graph shows net calorific value against moisture content (wet sample basis). It shows
that at: content has only around half the accessible
moisture (approx 55% MC)

0%MC calorific
value seasoned
(CV) is approximately
5000kW/tonne.
energy content of an equivalent,
well
log
(approx 20-25% MC).

25%MC CV is approximately 3800kW/tonne

35%MC CV is approximately 3000kW/tonne
The drier your woodfuel
material,
the higher the energy value and

50% the CV is only about 2250kW/tonne
therefore greater the efficiency
of your
boiler,
since
energy
willthebefuelused
So the drier the material,
the higher
the energy
value and
the more valuable
per tonne.
to evaporate any water in the wood before it will burn, reducing the
net energy content released as useful heat. To maximise efficiency of
your boiler ensure the moisture content of your fuel meets the required
specifications of your woodfuel system (check with installer).
For chip systems, typically small boilers require wood fuel in the range
of 20 to 30% MC to operate effectively. Fuel of higher moisture content
may be used in larger ‘wet’ wood systems.