While biomass is a controversial subject for many timber industry players, there is one area where the environmental and business case for burning wood remains unchallenged.
Primary and secondary processors are investing in biomass boilers, greening up their production methods, making use of their wood by-products and tapping into the Renewable Heat Incentive in the process.
BSW Timber has biomass boilers at three of its sites – two 5MW boilers at Fort William and at Dalbeattie and two 3MW boilers at Newbridge – an investment to the tune of £5m.
The boilers were all supplied by Slovenian manufacturer KIV, following an extensive shortlisting procedure and visits to other installations and manufacturers, and they run solely on by-products from the sawmilling process – no additional wood fuel is required.
The configuration of the boilers and the decision whether to install, say, two 3MW boilers rather than one 5MW boiler were all based on maximum demand from kilns running at optimum levels, with some spare capacity for future expansion. Ease of maintenance and fuel availability were also considerations.
Most of the heat produced is for the kilns, although BSW has put facilities in to provide space heating for certain parts of the mill.
Installing and commissioning the boilers was a painless process, said Jay Beamish, BSW’s environmental, health and safety manager, who added that the projects were all good returns on investment.
Part of this return has been provided by income from the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive, for which BSW was awarded accreditation in 2012. At current volumes this draws in an annual income of around £500,000.
The biomass boilers significantly reduce BSW’s carbon emissions, clawing back around 15,000 tonnes of carbon per year.
"Biomass also makes overall site operations more financially sustainable," said Mr Beamish. "It reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, makes it a safer operation and one that isn’t at the whim of markets affected by international politics." The company is conducting feasibility studies for installing biomass boilers at its other sites but, that said, it doesn’t intend to send all its co-products up in smoke and will continue to supply panelboard and paperboard industries, as it has done "for decades".
However, on the subject of more wholescale burning of wood for energy generation, BSW’s message is clear.
"There is insufficient co-product capacity in the UK to supply the very large-scale energy facilities without having a detrimental effect on existing outlets," said Mr Beamish. "Those plants should source their supply from imported wood fibre."
