Woodburner at Richard Harnett

Decisions, Decisions….. What are the choices? Waste management CHP Wood burning plus other biomass materials

What boiler is required? Auger fed or Ram fed Burner underfed or step grate De-ash auto or manual

3MW boiler Fuel: Wood chip Underfed stoker from walking floor Computer controlled Manual de-ash 7000 kw accumulator

Considerations Availability of material Is there room on site? Have you are good maintenance team? Do you want a simple system or are you prepared to drive the boiler? Is CO2 required? Is the boiler centralised? Do you have a back up system?

Is the UK geared up to wood burning? What I wanted: Chipped wood delivered At a known moisture content At an agreed spec

ARE: Boiler agents in the UK really Knowledgeable in burning wood and other biomass materials? Foresters, sawmills and recylclers aware of our needs? Woodchip machine manufacturers, or their UK agents, knowledgeable in our requirements?

NO! The UK does not have the culture to understand the requirement. It requires an organisation to bring all these parties together.

What are the savings? Chipped wood at £35/tonne at a 33% moisture content = 1p/kw. Allow 0.5p/Kw for maintenance. Approximately 40 percent of gas oil after horticultural rebate.

Do the economics stack up? Cost of installation high Approximately £1.7k/Mw Approximate payback in 4-8 years

But remember: If you want to be hassle free, Need CO2 enrichment Have a clean nursery area and willing to pay for that convenience Perhaps forget Biomass – for the time being at least!

If you are going to be a Carbon Neutral grower let it be known