BioMatNet Item: ALTENER 4.1030/C/00-017 - Wood pellets and wood procurement

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ALTENER 4.1030/C/00-017
Wood pellets and wood procurement

Contacts

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ALTENER Programme : Solid Biofuels : Thermochemical Conversion

Type of Project	CSC (Cost-sharing contracts)
Contract No	4.1030/C/00-017
Total Cost	878983
EC Contribution	450210
Start Date	26-03-2001
Duration	18 months

Objective

Biomass, woodchips and especially woodpellets are a key sector. For successful market penetration some assistance is needed. The logistics of woodpellets and woodchips including distribution, transport and delivery and to some extent storage of pellets at customers home is one of the most sensitive areas in the field of dissemination at that time. For further promotion of woodpellets (e.g. biomass) the improving of distribution systems is indispensable and encouragement of retailers is essential. General targets of improving in the distribution sector are cost reduction, quality improvement and improved customer confidence.

Activities

Within the (Austrian) project an informal temporal network has been formed for experience exchange and development of quality criteria and a quality assurance system. For this cooperation with the national standardisation organisations has been established and national and international experience exchange between retailers was encouraged by offering several seminars and workshops.

By the Second European Round Table on Woodpellets in November 2001 a broad range for international experience exchange was offered. 200 participants from 14 European countries attended the conference, poster session and exhibition. Also an excursion for conference participants was organised. The day after the conference the first cluster meeting took place. Additionally in the involved countries different activities for experience exchange in the field of logistics and quality management, workshops and meetings as well as lecturers have been carried out. In national project activities quality guidelines and quality criteria for pellets transport and storage have been defined together with representatives of heating vessel manufacturers, pellet manufacturers and retailers. In Austria this activities lead to the national standardisation work. Together with a national standardisation working group project partners worked on the national standardisation of wood pellets distribution and storage which was really successful. An Austrian standard for wood pellets logistics (transport and storage) will be published in summer 2002. Information about Austrian logistic standards have been given to other project partners and will be a guideline for standardisation work of pellets logistic on the European level.

There has been one project meeting and one cluster meeting. The only thing missing are guidelines for education and training of retailers, which is under preparation now. Till the next project meeting project partners will prepare suggestions of guidelines to be discussed, harmonised and finalised at the meeting.

The main aim of the Finnish project is to enhance the use of wood based energy resources especially in small and medium size heating plants. This project is focused on service buildings and detached houses, where district heating is not available. The main emphasise is on optimising the whole value chain of energy wood. The project is carried out within the action research paradigm supported by a case study. The main objectives of this aspect of the project are:

survey the willingness to supply energy wood to case heating plant, and develop electronic timber market system;
create the inventory and planning system for energy wood, especially in thinning forests;
develop a system for energy wood timber procurement, and;
clarify the profitability of energy wood use in the case heating plant. The project has proceeded as planned only with minor exceptions.

Results

The project can report the following outcomes at this time point:

The new case heating plant being selected and the basic information collected;
Case area forest owners being identified and basic information collected;
The first test version of the electronic timber market system for energy wood programmed;
The electronic market system for wood pellet being specificated and presented at cluster meeting.
A study about the possibilities of increasing mechanical processing of small size timber with integrated energy production being carried out;
The first test version of Integrated Information System of Energy Wood being programmed;
Links have been made with cluster partners and information enhanced.

For Ireland market introduction of woodpellets was to be testet. This project seeks to identify the suppliers of wood pellets and wood pellet heating systems in the EU and North America and identify a number of suppliers who would be willing to provide heating systems and pellets into the Irish Market. 6 sites were to be identified in 2 target areas (Co. Donegal and Co. Tipperary) with a view to funding the installation of these heating systems and the demonstration of wood pellet heating in Ireland. The following actions have been completed:

review and compilation of wood pellet heating system suppliers;
review and compilation of wood pellet producers in EU
production of a database of the above information;
identification of a number of equipment suppliers and pellet producers who may supply to the Irish Market;
identification of 12 potential sites for wood pellet heating systems;
holding of one partners meeting in Graz, Austria accompanied by a study tour;
attendance at European conference on wood pellets;
attendance at Danish wood energy study tour;
dissemination of information on project via various avenues and actions.

The project resulted in the final selection of the six potential sites and also the wood pellet heating equipment which will be installed. In addition, the project sought to stimulate the development of the wood pellet industry in Ireland by the production of a development plan. This was assisted by the Cluster partners and also done in conjunction with COFORD, the National Council for Forestry Research and Development.

Achievements:

The existing woodpellet production potential and the distribution sector will be professionalised. Motivation and training of retailers, dissemination of experience and establishment of a quality control system will accelerate and secure further market penetration. Quality and convenience will be raised and costs can reduced.

The proposed software system for energy wood timber market and logistics of timber procurement will be able to sell and use in the whole EU energy wood markets. This information technology will be useful to increase supply of energy wood.

Further results are identification of suitable wood pellet systems on the market, identification of suitable wood pellet exports, development of an implementation and development plan for wood pellet heating systems in Ireland.

Contacts

Coordinator

Brigitte HAHN / Umweltorientierte betriebsberatungs Forschungs- Und Entsorgungs-Ges. M.b / AUSTRIA

Participant