Wood chip drying and business

[cornish wood burner]

Dry spruce does make a lot of fines, especially with a 30mm screen, but the knives last for ages, I am still on the first set, having chipped around 200 ton so far.

 

20% sub 3mm for G30 spec chip. Heizo is a good chipper and I would be very suprised if you are producing more fines than this. Might be time for a blade sharpen if you are.

[Tom D]

Probably was less than 20 tbh, just seemed a lot...

[Tomatin Firewood]

I got the impression that all the big houses up there had either switched to biomass or were in the process of doing so. I guess I only deal with the ones that are organised enough to sell their timber to sawmills, so they tend to have the biomass side of things nailed as well.

 

The closest estate to you that I know does biomass in a fairly big way is Alvie. If memory serves, they chip and dry (using an RHI accredited kiln) about 2000 tonnes of chip annually. Given the profusion of demand up there, it might well be worth speaking to them about their experiences. If you approach them the right way, they might be happy to show you what they do. Competitors can sometimes work quite cooperatively

 

I know Jamie at Alvie quite well, I have already had a look around their chipping operation which is impressive.

 

My main thoughts were whether these drying shipping containers were any good?

 

Also I hear what other are saying regarding chipping seasoned wood, it would mean less drying and I have a big shed where I air dry the logs. Up here it is always raining so for chips I think it would require some form of artificial drying to ensure they are of a sufficient standard.

 

I know Jamie has queried me about firewood processing in past so maybe I should ask if there is a way we can collaborate.

[rovers90]

A decent biomass chipper will set you back minimum £100k plus similar for tractor if you go pto power. Eurochipper do chipper with its own engine for £130k so still major investment. A suitable shed with concrete floor could easily be another £100k.

 

Then how are you going to deliver it? Hookloader truck with skips? Further huge investment.

 

Some biomass boilers will take chip with quite high moisture content, up to 40% but if you chip green wood it tends to go mouldy so best to air dry. If you then want to dry it further you are talking another £25k plus for biomass boiler.

 

How would you get chip into/out of shipping containers? seen a system that used old grain trailers with false floor, heat goes under the false floor and rises up through the chip in the trailer. However, not too efficient as leads to super soaking of the chip.

 

Whichever way you look at it you are talking a major capital investment and if you only have one or two customers (all be it large estates) if they decide to go else where for their chip or produce their own you could be sunk very quickly.

[renewablejohn]

It can be done at a reasonable cost the problem to solve is how to get the wood chip dry below 20% MC and then the wood chip will not go mouldy in storage. The secret is in the drying and is what gives me a competitive edge on the big boys so obviously I am not going to divulge how I achieve it only that it is loosely based on a Lenz type system.

[njmusk]

I have heard of an estate uses it grain store to dry its wood chip once all grain is gone. Next door estate to dumaglass is having another shed put up for chips, dont know how they dry theres

[woody3]

try the woodmill at nairn, they do kiln dry chip for export which i am sure you have seen at inverness docks

[Cuttup]

Moisture content is one of the biggest issues. You need to be sub 25% for a lot of systems. You need consistency. Few folk doing it now so check there prices and work back from there. Its a commodity and you will have no control on price. If you have a steady cheap timber supply thats a big bonus, but also consider proper chipping and storage facilities. Are there any disused farm buildings you could rent or buy? If you do it half baked be spending loads, but with a sub-standard product. We're looking at putting in a 200Kw boiler and the biggest issues for us will be finding quality chip at the right MC. Fines, as mentioned by others are generally a boilers worst nightmare. Check out The big chip company in Argyll for some inspiration and or confirmation that capital costs may preclude descent returns.

[Stephen Blair]

I think the secret is getting grants, huge financial input but once you get the circle complete you buy in timber, chip it, burn it, get the tarrif to pay you for drying your own chip , dry more than you need to run the boiler and sell the spare stuff and repeat.

[HertsWood]

Talk to Phil Newson at PR Newson Ltd - he used to produce & supply Woodfuel chip, with customers including Stanstead Airport who burn 10000+ tonnes a year. He saw the writing on the wall and moved away from producing/supplying chip to contract chipping only with 2 trailed Jenz chippers. He's got lot of info.