1. Sponsored by: September 2010 1 Manufacturing Wood Fuel Prepared by Louise Simmonds TV Energy

2. Sponsored by: September 2010 2 Introduction Different wood fuel products Waste wood and virgin timber Source materials Seasoning Conversion Quality

3. Sponsored by: September 2010 3 Wood Fuel Types Logs Used in open fires, stoves and batch boilers Sold in various volumes/weights from as single sack to bulk delivery Pellets For small to medium stoves and boilers Sold by sack or the loose tonne Pellets can be blown into pellet stores Wood Chip Suitable for medium to large boilers >50kW Sold in bulk by volume, weight and sometimes p/kWh

4. Sponsored by: September 2010 4 Waste regulations & wood Environment Agency position statement http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/PS_005_Regulat_of_wood_v3.0.pdf Virgin timber is timber from: whole trees and the woody parts of trees including branches and bark derived from forestry works, woodland management, tree surgery and other similar operations (it does not include clippings or trimmings that consist primarily of foliage); virgin wood processing (e.g. wood offcuts, shavings or sawdust from sawmills) or timber product manufacture dealing in virgin timber. Virgin timbers are not waste and are not subject to waste regulatory controls provided they are certain to be used for purposes to which virgin wood is commonly put. These include use as fuel in an appliance But if virgin timber is mixed with waste timber or any other waste, the mixed load is classed as waste.

5. Sponsored by: September 2010 5 Source materials Forestry Material easily available Straight lengths Existing market and infrastructure Softwood readily available

6. Sponsored by: September 2010 6 Source material Slab wood Low moisture content Sharding can be a problem Higher bark content

7. Sponsored by: September 2010 7 Source material Tree Surgery Free Material? Irregular sizing Storage

8. Sponsored by: September 2010 8 Conversion to Logs Logs for Batch boilers Uniform size Straightness Storage Moisture content

9. Sponsored by: September 2010 9 Conversion to Pellet Storage Debarking Chipping/shredding Tumble drying Pelletising

10. Sponsored by: September 2010 10 Conversion to Wood Chip Seasoning Store for a minimum of 1 year Sunny open aspect Stack on bearers Cover top of stack if required

11. Sponsored by: September 2010 11 Conversion to Wood Chip Chipping Use correct chipper Ensure blades are sharp Consider using a screen Avoid contamination

12. Sponsored by: September 2010 12 Chip Storage Weather proof Clean and contamination free Sides suitable for loading shovels Ventilation

13. Sponsored by: September 2010 13 Logistics and Economics Existing machinery available Capital costs of new machinery Use of sub contractors Storage of round wood Storage of chip Contract between supplier and purchaser

14. Sponsored by: September 2010 14 Quality and cooperation Agree fuel requirements for heating season in advance Specify fuel to suit the boiler, do not over specify moisture content Avoid contamination at every step Check quality of Wood Chip and implement improvements as required Producer and Customer should work together http://www.tvenergy.org/