Kiln dried Firewood - The future ?

[openspaceman]

Do you sale logs?

 

Not for the last 20 years and even before that I doubt I ever did more than 200m3 of solid timber. It was only ever a sideline to get rid of out of spec timber or part loads.

[Big J]

Well I've got a 30ft container coming and a 233kw biomass boiler coming. Should get firewood dry quite quickly with that set up.

 

Anyone for bulker loads of kiln dried softwood at £35 a cubic metre?!

[arboriculturist]

Well I've got a 30ft container coming and a 233kw biomass boiler coming. Should get firewood dry quite quickly with that set up.

 

Anyone for bulker loads of kiln dried softwood at £35 a cubic metre?!

 

Is that a chip/pellet boiler J ?

[Big J]

No, solid fuel. Suits me as I'm producing 2 plus tonnes of slabwood offcuts every day at the moment from the mill.

 

This is the boiler in question, albeit with some very large 3 phase fans strapped to the side. I have a second boiler going spare.....

 

Metalcover srl is specialized in hot air generators, modular coverings and tanks for fuel and oil. Each installation is analyzed and designed by the technical department.

[arboriculturist]

No, solid fuel. Suits me as I'm producing 2 plus tonnes of slabwood offcuts every day at the moment from the mill.

 

This is the boiler in question, albeit with some very large 3 phase fans strapped to the side. I have a second boiler going spare.....

 

Metalcover srl is specialized in hot air generators, modular coverings and tanks for fuel and oil. Each installation is analyzed and designed by the technical department.

 

From the moment I joined the forum, I respected your business knowledge/ sense - say no more. I am not sure it is something you can easily learn.

 

Does this unit qualify for RHI?

 

Is the price sensible if you don't mind me asking?

[Marko]

Hopefully not derailing but just offering an observation which may or may not apply to firewood as it hasn't got the supermarket pressures....

 

Automated large scale glasshouse plant production was a very early adopter of RHI as they previously burnt gas in huge quantities. The pioneers did it themselves (raising capital from the bank themselves or, more frequently, in deals with pension funds who loved the zero risk fixed return model). Stobarts got in on the act and the next phase of installations were extremely innovative partnerships; sharing out the RHI between the glasshouse producer and chip supplier. All good.

 

But even a few years on (and before the break even point) the industry has already absorbed RHI inputs into the model, so it is now an essential subsidy to plant production i.e. you cannot compete in the market without RHI. Just as a 99p burger is only possible by susbsidising grain production, a dozen pansies at Tescos for 99p that is only possible because of RHI.

 

Does it matter? At least it was an application that actually stopped gas being burnt but it is not the golden goose that they thought it would be 6 years ago.