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Registered in Scotland: SC337199 Contact details : post@arranwoodfuels.co.uk Tel: 01770 870 207 Mob: 07943 256 248

Wood Chips

Wood Chip fuel will help you save the planet and save you money.

Wood chip fuel produced by Arran Woodfuels is a low cost, low carbon, source of heating energy produced from a local Island of Arran renewable resource. Since it is a locally produced natural resource, delivery costs are minimised and supply is sustainable, so long as trees continue to be planted and grow here. Delivery, storage and handling of the fuel is just as convenient as existing fossil fuel arrangements and current Government grants ensure that installation costs of new biomass heating equipment need not be any higher than any other type of (less environmentally friendly) technology.

Click here to see our woodchip delivery system in operation

Wood chip fired heating is best used in buildings with heating requirements of 45kW and above. By adopting wood chips as your new fuel source, substantial cost savings will be made against conventional forms of heating. In addition, your carbon footprint will be reduced and you will no longer be affected by the dramatic price increases in heating oil or gas.

Fuel Cost Comparison

The most effective way to compare the relative costs of various heating fuels is to convert them to "price per kilowatt-hour". This table provides a price comparison on Arran, however note that prices quoted are indicative only, and that you should consult with your present energy provider for more accurate figures.

Indicative prices only	Energy Content	Price per Unit*	Price per kWh**
Woodchips (35% MC)	3,000 kWh/Tonne	£105 per Tonne	3.5p per kWh
Wood Pellets	4,965 kWh/Tonne	£200 per Tonne	4.0p per kWh
Heating Oil	10.6 kWh/Liter	48p per Liter	4.5p per kWh
Domestic LPG	7.80 kWh/Liter	40p per Liter	5.0p per kWh

Electricity

9.0p per kWh

Prices are based on quotes obtained Spring 2009 & include VAT.
**kWh is the common measure of energy - expressed here as kWh heat.

How is it made?

Wood Chip biomass fuel is produced at our yard at the South-end of the island using a combination of conventional farm machinery and specialised woodfuel processing machinery.

The process begins in the sustainable Arran forests, during felling operations. The product known as "small round-wood" is the residue left behind after the more valuable "saw log" timber is removed and sent to the mainland wood mills. Small round-wood is basically the tops of the trees and branches, generally under 10" diameter. This material is gathered from the forest, stacked by the roadside, then transported to our yard.

Here it is stacked again in our "log piles" to season (dry-out), usually between 9 to 12 months. This is a very important part of the process as the moisture content (MC) of wood chips sold to the public is governed by the BSI CEN/TC335 standards.

When the wood has a moisture content of less than 35%, our powerful chipping machine is used to produce high quality, fuel-grade woodchips. This machine, specially imported from Finland, provides state-of-the-art chipping technology and guarantees a regular, consistent chip size and shape.

The two main challenges facing the production of wood chips for modern biomass boilers are particle size and moisture content. Our stringent quality control ensures that the wood chips we produce will match your new heating equipment and provide high levels of heat-conversion efficiency, saving money and the environment.

The woodchips are produced daily on demand, mainly to avoid us having large stocks of wood chips on our premises. To avoid multiple handling and potential degradation of the wood chips, we blow the chips straight into our special hi-tip trailers and deliver to our customers around the island. We can take responsibility to keep your store filled, or you can call us when a delivery is required. Whilst delivering, our driver will remove the produced ash and give all equipment a quick visual check.

Delivery on Arran is FREE of charge.