Why choose wood fuel
Wood is a low-carbon source of renewable energy. Growing woodlands absorb nearly as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as the wood from them emits when it is burnt. Wood is therefore considered to be a carbon-neutral fuel.
Wood fuel benefits biodiversity through the sustainable management of neglected woodlands and boosts the rural economy. Using wood for fuel will help to turn under-managed woods into managed areas. This management will open up the tree canopy and enable more light to reach the ground. Conditions for wild plants, butterflies and animals, many of whose numbers have been declining in recent years, will be greatly improved.
Wood-fuelled heating systems reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90% compared with traditional fossil fuels.
The new jobs created through wood fuel production helps to provide economic stability for the rural economy and the fuel supply chain.
Sources of wood fuel
Existing woodlands are not the only sources of wood fuel. In urban areas, the trees on the streets and in parks and gardens all produce timber. An estimated 127,000 m3 of tree waste is produced each year. Much of this poses a disposal problem for arborists.
In addition, trees such as willow and poplar can be planted as short-rotation coppices and cut every two or three years for fuel.
Untreated reclaimed timber from demolition sites and clean waste pallets can also be used as fuel. Waste from timber-using industries is increasingly being used for pellet production.
Why choose woodchips?
Euro Tree Woodfuel’s woodchips are sourced locally and provide a renewable and sustainable fuel. Using woodchips can help to reduce your carbon footprint.
Wood fuel is a competitive source of energy compared with fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. Burning of wood to produce heat is perhaps the lowest cost of all the renewable energy technologies at around 2.6p/kWh.
What to look out for in your woodchips?
Several factors have a direct effect on the fuel efficiency of woodchips:
- The moisture content of the wood
- The calorific value of the wood
- The size of the chips.
Calorific value
Hard wood and soft wood have different calorific values. Hard woods have the higher calorific value and will burn more slowly and produce a greater heat output. In most cases, the fuel is sold based on the the heat output meter readings measured at the boiler While loads will usually be made up of a mixture of hard and soft woodchips, it is important to use a good quality fuel as poor quality woodchips will burn for a shorter period giving less heat and requiring more frequent replenishment.
Euro Tree Woodfuel woodchips
Euro Tree Woodfuel woodchips are produced from timber from local, sustainably managed forests and woodlands together with waste from wood industries across the North West.
Our woodchips are clean, environmentally friendly and 25–30mm long. They have an average moisture content of 30%.
It is important to use correctly sized chips in your system. The size and uniformity of the woodchip is crucial as unscreened chippings may cause blockages in the chip-feed delivery system.
