Fuel supply

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The long term consistent supply of biomass as a fuel is critical for owners of heat plant. The biomass suitable as a fuel can come in many forms and from many sources. However heat plant are designed for specific fuels so understanding the future fuel streams and their potential availability for specific plant is very important. Wood is the biggest source of biomass available to be used as fuel. However counting the trees planted does not tell you how much biomass may be available as fuel. Trees are primarily grown for export as logs or processing into timber products. The fuel is likley to come from the 15-18% of the tree which is left behind as harvest or processing residues. The best fuel coming from process residues.

Harvest or processing wood residues often need to be processed into being a suitable fuel. This may entail chipping, drying and screening into specified grades for sale and delivery as fuel.

In addition to wood there are other sources of biomass suitable for processing into being a specified fuel. This may come from agricultural or urban activities such as straw stover or arborist chip.

Developing new resources for the wood fuel sector in NZ

The Bioenergy Association's Wood Fuel Interest Group is currently looking at several new pieces of work with regard to wood fuel and invites interested members to get involved. The Wood Fuel (WFIG) and Wood Pellet (WPIG) Interest Groups developed a technical guide a few years ago that focused on tips when seeking proposals for the installation of new heat plant. The WFIG is now moving on to a guide that is focused on securing the fuel. Despite ample supplies nationally, the Bioenergy Association sees that the wood fuel supply market is not working efficiently and so, in line with our industry role, we are taking steps to address this. In summary the WFIG will address the following:

  • Develop a Model Wood Fuel Supply Contract so that asset owners can be assisted in seeking offers for wood fuel supply
  • Developing a technical guide for the Purchase of Wood Fuel Supply.

The WFIG will also now take an opportunity to revise another key technical guide – the Wood Fuel Classification Guidelines. The revision will take account what has been learnt post the initial release of the guidelines.  In particular, we are interested in contributions from those who have used the guidelines thus far.

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