Harvest management
Quality and supply issues for industrial wood fuel can often occur because the wood residue which is commonly used is usually the by-product of a larger tree felling and/or timber processing operation. As a ‘waste’ product, little regard is given to the potential value of the resource.
However, a few simple things can reduce these issues, including:
- Good communication between wood fuel contractors, harvesting and transport operators and harvest planners
- Early consideration of the potential to produce wood fuel (i.e. at the harvest planning stage) to maximise the quality and quantity and minimise handling and cost
- Site access planning to allow on-highway truck and trailer units access to the wood fuel
- Wood fuel collection planning to allow appropriate volumes to be held in one accessible place and kept clean and dry