Leading MDF architectural mouldings manufacturer SAM Mouldings expects to save more than £500,000 a year through its investment in a combined heat and power plant (CHP) powered by wood waste.
The CHP project cost £1.2m and attracted a £200,000 interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust.
Savings include the elimination of electricity costs (£230,000 annually) and wood waste disposal (£300,000), as well as additional income from the generation and sale of excess power back to the National Grid (£35,000).
Waste extraction equipment supplier Dustraction has also played a key role, installing a 80m³ storage silo – the fourth on the eight-acre site – to take and store MDF waste from an existing but relocated cyclo filter.
To ensure a reliable feed source for the CHP plant, a two-way diverter was installed at the outlet of the cyclo filter so wood waste flow can be switched between silo stores three and four.
A new cyclo filter was also installed, the third on site, to exhaust waste from a repositioned hogger via a network of external ducting.
