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BSW Timber is the largest sawmilling business in Great Britain, producing over one million cubic metres of timber per year and employing 750 people across the UK and Latvia. Their Newbridge Sawmill in Mid Wales had an annual heat demand of over 6,000 MWh - almost entirely for oil-fired timber drying kilns - and generated approximately 26,250 tonnes of wood co-products annually. The project replaced 4.85 MW of oil-fired plant with a 6 MW biomass system fuelled entirely by on-site low value wood and bark waste, delivering carbon savings of 2,400 tonnes per year and a project payback of 4.3 years.
We were appointed as technical consultant to take the project from feasibility through to commissioning and RHI accreditation - with the installation completed on time and to budget. The project gave BSW the confidence to invest in similar biomass installations at two further sites, where we provided technical support for an additional 20 MW of thermal capacity across the group.
Scope
We were appointed to undertake a feasibility study to assess plant options, locations, sizes, and costs - concluding that two 3 MW biomass boilers fuelled by on-site wood co-products represented the optimum solution. We developed outline design including boiler house layout and integration with the existing kiln district heating main, and assisted with a Carbon Trust loan application to part-finance the capital costs. We then progressed to detailed system design, full technical specification of all plant items, tendering support for boiler supplier and main contractor appointment, planning support, and acted as Client's Engineer throughout construction, commissioning, and handover. We were subsequently appointed to manage the RHI accreditation process and the specialist operations and maintenance for the installation, which we still undertake to this day.
Services
Feasibility Study, Outline & Detailed Design, Technical Specification, Carbon Trust Loan Application Support, Planning Support, Tendering Support, Client's Engineer, Commissioning, Operations and Asset Management, Compliance and Accreditation.
Solution
Two 3 MW moving grate biomass boilers - specified to accept high moisture content wood fuel up to 60% and varying fuel stock including bark and butt chips - were installed with 50,000 litres of thermal storage, a 200 m³ moving floor fuel store, and full integration with the existing oil boiler for backup and peak demand. The system enabled BSW to double kilning capacity while reducing operating costs by utilising self-supplied low value wood and bark waste.
“The 6MW plant at our Newbridge on Wye, Mid Wales facility was commissioned during June 2011. The project was on schedule, to budget and is exceeding our performance expectations.”