Wood energy

Wood used for energy does not fit well with a payment system that works using non-energy (eg. volume or weight).  The energy content of wood is closely related to moisture content, and this can vary substantially, depending on the origin and storage history of the material.  This study looks to determine the effects of moving from a weight-based payment system to a specific energy-content-based payment system at a large industrial site, using woody biomass as a fuel source on a large scale.

Forestry generates huge quantities of wood residues. Those residues could be a valuable new source of carbon-neutral energy for the industry and New Zealand.  This case study looks at the opportunity in more detail.

The Landcare Research space heating is currently derived from coal boilers that are located at the Crop and Food facility. The desire to pursue a carbon neutral fuel that is in line with their policy, along with improving the level of heating that is currently available from the
current system, are the key drivers for this feasibility study.

A feasibility study to investigate the most appropriate heating option for Mt Difficulty Winery was undertaken by Transitionz Group Limited under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's (EECA) Wood Energy Grant Scheme. Mt Difficulty is in the early stages of expanding the winery and it was identified that the current heating system was not suitable and a replacement system is being reconsidered as part of the expansion. The study looks at several technologies, solar hot water, ground-source heat pumps and wood pellet and chip boilers, to replace the current gas boiler system.

With its future at stake, New Zealand Foam Latex needed an economically viable and environmentally friendly fuel to produce steam needed to manufacture their products - all made from foam.
Coal was cheap, from $6.10/GJ. But emissions and the costs of mitigating them ruled it out. Diesel and LPG would cost over $30/GJ.
Wood was cost-effective and clean-burning. A variety of sources helped assure reliable supply - forestry hoggings, timberyard residues, left-over pallets and demolition, even dunnage reclaimed from shipping.

Ernslaw Bio-Energy's new mobile wood chipper means the Central Otago company is well-placed to take advantage of an expected increase in the use of wood chip boilers.
The company bought the $250,000 German-made Heizohack HM10-500 KT chipper and the John Deere 7530 tractor which powers it in 2008 with the help of a business grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.
The mobile chipper is one of the first of its kind in New Zealand. It produces about 13 tonnes of wood chips an hour-enough to heat an average-sized school with a wood chip boiler for 10 days.

A wood fuel feasibility study was conducted in the Christchurch area for supplying wood chips to Christchurch Hospital. Four companies were evaluated for their potential volume of supply, quality of wood chips and the sustainability of supply.