BIOMASS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND CONTROLLING

BIOMASS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND CONTROLLING

FOCUS AND CONTENT The focus of the presentation is on forest biomass in Central Finland Content Entities of the forest biomass demand and supply chain Forest biomass inventory accumulation and demand The increase of bioenergy plants within eight years in Finland Raw material sources Forest woodchips production systems The role of a terminal Information that facilitates the management Bioenergy plants in Central Finland Technology Operation Storage Challenges

Inventories Inventories Inventories ENTITIES OF THE FOREST BIOMASS DEMAND AND SUPPLY CHAIN Procuring sources -Private forests - supplier s own forests -- state s forests Supplier -procurement of raw material from forest owners - delivery management to customer Customer - Procurement organization of an energy company Harvesting Forwarding Chips production (Comminution) Transport Subcontractors, Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs Transport firms

FOREST BIOMASS INVENTORY ACCUMULATION AND DEMAND Inventory Demand Winter Spring Summer Autumn

THE INCREASE OF BIOENERGY PLANTS WITHIN EIGHT YEARS

Forest residues Stumps and root wood RAW MATERIAL SOURCES Whole trees from early thinnings (energywood thinning or first thinning)

FOREST WOODCHIPS PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Centralized system Wood chips are produced at terminals or at energy plant The machine typically is a stationary crusher but also in some situation a mobile crusher or chipper is used Distributed system Wood chips are produced at roadside Production machine is a mobile chipper or crusher Machine interaction

Terminal is a tool for controlling the procurement and managing the availability Controlling the moisture content THE ROLE OF A TERMINAL

INFORMATION AND TOOLS THAT FACILITATES MANAGEMENT Measuring instructions Mass measuring device in forwarders Moisture content studies Instructions for piling trees and residues Well prepared Geographical Information Systems Stands locations Plants locations and requirements Inventory locations, sizes, types Time labels in different events Harvesting time Inventory depletions Machine contractors and truck entrepreneurs locations Co-operation between different entities Calculators

BIOENERGY PLANTS IN CENTRAL FINLAND Bioenergy plants and their woodchips consumption

TECHNOLOGY A wide range of chippers and mounted on different chassis (tractors, trucks or forwarders) Some large crushers Transport of woodchips is basically simple Truck s superstructure is a box and total weight of the truck is aimed to achieve The selection of the type of truck and superstructure according to certain principles Only lorry, truck and semitrailer, truck and trailer For stump transport a special extended superstructure is used Unloading The main unloading principle is to unload from the rear end of the box The number of superstructures with side doors and side tipping capability is slowly increasing due to new power plants possibility to offer this capability

Some facts Best stands are selected first for bioenergy purposes Volume is high, distances to plants are low, stands are in good places Distributed system OPERATION (1) Select stands that are near to each other Identify always distances to a plant It is important to select the right amount of chip trucks per truck-mounted chipper For large plants suppliers assure the availability through inventories

Roads classification according to conditions Always open roads Open only in summer Open only in winter OPERATION (2) In spring specifically: due to frost most gravel roads are in bad state Forest roads have been built for timber harvesting Infrastructure is then ready for energywood! However some improvements has to made in some roads due to different truck used in biomass chains

THE DENSITY OF PRIVATE AND FOREST ROADS Private roads Forest roads not seen in the map The objectives: -forwarding distance below 500 m - storages at landing of main roads or connection roads

STORAGE Finnish Forest Center has prepared instructions for stocking energy wood Instructions guides for selecting the storage place and how to make the pile Photo: Hakkila P., 2004

CHALLENGES Large number of timber sites, stands marked for cutting Small size of sales Scattered location of work sites especially in distributed model has an effect to chipping operation Varying sources may cause increase in transport distances Variation of biomass properties Variation of inventories Increase the amount of the first thinnings Increase the cost efficiency of harvesting and logistics The availability of raw material Entrepreneurs and contractors do not invest to machines and vehicles if the demand and supply are not stable The efficient use of terminals