WOODFUEL TRAINING COURSE

Transcription

1 WOODFUEL TRAINING COURSE 13th of November Session I Developing small and medium scale woodfuel supply chains Dominik Röser & Lauri Sikanen Finnish Forest Research Institute

2 1. The structure of forest fuel supply chain

3 Definition of forest fuel Wood-based fuels Energy Forest Forest Biomass Recycled wood Short Rotation Forestry Primary residues Forest Residues Logging residues Residues from first and intermediate thinnings Stumps Roundwood for energy Traditional firewood Secondary residues Industrial Residues Bark Sawdust Shavings and chips Endings and cross-cut ends Black liquor Used wood from Construction Demolition Wooden Packages

4 Small scale users: Farms, private houses etc kw FUELS

5 Medium scale users: Municipality size MW FUELS

6 Large scale users: : City size for example: Alholmens Kraft The biggest biofuel energy plant in the world MW combined heat and power Charcoal 10% FUELS Wood 45% Total use of wood fuels GWh/a Forest residues m 3 = 300 GWh/a Peat 45%

7 The main sources of forest fuels Small trees from early thinnings - Harvesting costs are high low efficiency - Harvesting is an extra operation - location and volume estimation are difficult - Not much space for integration Logging residues from final fellings - An extra assortment in addition to roundwood - Accumulation easy to estimate and locate - High degree of integration - Collection and forwarding costs are comparatively low Accumulation m³/ha m³/ha Roundwood from final fellings/thinnings - Effective operations - Traditions already exist - Good quality chips Thinning m³/ha Final Felling m³/ha

8 Transportation of woodfuel fractions Forest Energy is local energy. In general, economically sustainable transportation distance in less than 100 km (except pellets) PELLETS OIL Proportion of solids in forest fuels. All loads have the same solid content. (Modified after Nilsson 1983).

9 Production methods of chips from small-sized sized trees Manual felling and piling of small-sized stems Felling frame Pile of small-sized delimbed or undelimbed trees near forest road Forest haulage of small-sized trees Chipping Transportation to heating plant Heating plant Accumulating feller-buncher

10 Manual felling-bunching chainsaw with special handles no delimbing: more biomass, less time for cutting manual piling

11 Mechanized felling-bunching

12 Supply chains for logging residues (or log chips) BUNDLING METHOD Bundling of logging residues Forest haulage by tractor equipped for log haulage On-road transportation by log trucks Logging residue compacting truck trailer On-road transportation of loose logging residues TERRAIN CHIPPING-METHOD Chipping of residues on road-side terminal LOOSE RESIDUES Crushing of bundles or loose residues in the plant CHIPPING IN ROAD SIDE-METHOD

13 Slash piling integrated into roundwood cutting Two side method Single side method

14 Logging method for recovery of logging residues

15 Location of chipping Chipping is primary element of forest fuel supply chain affecting the design of the supply chain Principles Pros & Cons

16 Chipping in terrain Hakkila Integration one machine doing two different tasks (forwarding, chipping) - Small roadside storages - Chipping is independent from transportation - High chipping costs due to the forwarding Essentials: - Short forwarding distances - Flat terrain - Soil bearability has to be high The future depends on the right conditions

17 Chipping in terrain Purchase price: EUR Productivity (250 m): 9.5 m 3 /E0-h Purchase price: EUR Volume (3 cont.): 105 m 3 (loose)

18 Chipping at landing High load volume of chip trucks Mobile chippers with high productivity Chipper translocation decreases annual machine hours Hakkila 2004 Proper landing with enough space is essential logistics Hot supply chain chipper and truck are dependent on each other - calls for good logistics

19 Chipping at landing: : Small & medium scale Farm tractor + chipper

20 Chipping at landing: : Medium & large scale Truck-based chippers Hakkila 2004

21 Unloading of chips Truck equipped with moving floor

22 Chipping at landing Purchase price: EUR Productivity: 33 m 3 /E0-h Purchase price: EUR Volume: 115 m 3 (loose)

23 Chipping at plant

24 Chipping at plant

25 Chipping at plant - Simple to organise - Low chipping costs - Requires short transportation distance with low density fractions (e.g. stumps or unbundled residues) - Requires large scale and steady demand through the year (> 50 MW and > m 3 /a - Requires careful planning of logistics in order to avoid queuing of lorries

26 Summary: Location of chipping - In the landing (roadside) chipping the chipper and lorry are dependent on each other, hot chain - Chipping at a plant makes the chipper & chip truck independent of each other - Low bulk density/load volume of unprosessed material is the weak link in the chipping at plant system. Not a problem with roundwood - End use facility chipping system is suitable only for large plants since the investment cost is high. - Landing (roadside) chipping system is suitable also for the small plants - Terrain & terminal chipping are the minority chipping systems in Finland

27 Comminution at plant: Loose-residues - Simple technic - Low chipping costs - Extra support from stump harvesting - Large roadside storage - Low loads in forwarding and truck transport

28 Bundling of residues Compact Residue logs: Diameter: cm Length: 3m Weight: 500kg Energy content: 1 MWh Productivity: about 20 logs/hour Benefit: full intergration in CTL

29 Comminution at plant: Bundles - Possibility to use normal roundwood harvesting machines (forwarders, trucks) - Big loads - Small storage areas - One extra sortiment in normal control system of industrial wood harvesting -> cost efficiency - Bundling is expensive new extra work task in the forest - Difficulties with strings on the plant -> entangled with conveyors

30 Bundling of residues: Large scale use

31 Stump harvesting Hakkila 2004

32 Stump harvesting

33 Transport of stumps

34 Selection of harvesting technology Complex analysis Annual need for forest fuels and other fuels Annual availability of forest fuels - fuel mix (residues, small trees, stumps) - transport distances in the forest/on road network Location of plant (centre of a town or in the sub urban area)? Size of plant yard (storage)? Municipal DH plant/industrial CHP plant? Dominating technology to produce chips to DH plants Need for GIS-based availability and cost analysis

35 Technology selection for the Scottish Highlands FACTS Low bearing capacity of soil Roundwood for fuel Existing harvesting traditions/entrepreneurs Several medium scale using places apart from each other Plenty of small using places apart from each other High moisture content of roundwood Chip burning boilers Gasification EFFECTS ON SUGGESTED TECHNOLOGY Terrain chipping almost out of question Harvesters and forwarders already exist and work effectively Many professionals already know how to work successfully Chipping at plant out of question Mobile effective chipper with large enough feeding capacity Farm scale chippers and local part-time operators needed Storing (with covering) over the summer

36 Technology selection for Iceland FACTS Accessible forests Roundwood for fuel Existing farming machinery and traditions Several small scale using places apart from each other High moisture content of roundwood Small boilers Pioneer scale All in one (a couple of) hand(s) EFFECTS ON SUGGESTED TECHNOLOGY Bearing and steepness problems in harvesting can be avoided Roundwood harvesting technologies can be used Farm tractors as base machines are familiar for farmers Chipping at plant out of question Mobile effective chipper or farm scale chippers and local part-time operators needed High quality chips needed, storing (with covering) over the summer Leaves the possibility to experiment Easier and more flexible

37 Approppriate technology?

38 Technology references Valmet XM130-4 Farm Tractor Kesla F18RH Harvester kit Valtra Farm Tractor Forwarding trailer & loader Junkkari HJ 500 Chipper

39 Limiting factors forest chips are only competitive if no excess amounts of industrial residues? high investment costs secondary product weak profitability for entrepreneurs Lack of a standard for chips Misconceptions of the public and politicians