Woodfuel training course - quality standards and quality assurance

The Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder and High Weald AONB have partnered with Ignite to offer a new training course on woodfuels.

Ignite is an innovative training programme of practical seminars and interactive workshops with a focus on woodfuel. 

Ignite is designed for those wanting to know more about woodfuel and to equip new and existing woodfuel businesses with the skills and knowledge required to meet the increasing demand from this growing market. 

Ignite courses have been developed and are run by RDI Associates Limited, a registered training provider with Lantra Awards and all courses are delivered by experienced and accredited trainers.

The course is being run in partnership with Forest Advisory Consortium England partners, WoodNet and the Kent Downs and High Weald AONBs.

Woodfuel Quality Standards

This one day course introduces woodfuel suppliers and users to the full range of standards and quality assurance schemes in use in the supply chain and how to produce and specify the correct type of fuel. 

It looks at how to ensure your woodfuel is compliant with the Timber Standard for Heat and Electricity covering the legal and sustainability criteria and the requirements of the Biomass Suppliers List.

The course also looks at how woodfuel properties can affect compliance with standards, how to specify and test fuel, and match fuel specifications to combustion systems.

The course provides an introduction to BS EN solid biofuels standards that have been adopted in the UK and reviews the various woodfuel quality assurance schemes and what relevance these may have to your business. The course involves a practical sampling demonstration at a working woodfuel supply depot.

Course attendees will also receive a copy of our Woodfuel Quality Standards Handbook and a Lantra Awards certificate of attendance.

Cost:
1 day course: £140+ VAT

• A 10% discount is offered to members of the Woodfuel Suppliers Group and Wood Heat Association (please confirm your membership on booking)
• Prices include all course materials, refreshments, lunch and course registration and certification fees

How to book:
Phone: 01765 609355

or

Email: Erica.spencer@ruraldevelopment.org.uk

or

Post:
Rural Development Initiatives Ltd
Unit 9
Sycamore Business Park
Dishforth Road
Copt Hewick
Ripon
HG4 5DF

Further details from the RDI events web page.

Restoring Kent's Ancient Woodlands

During the last few years we have worked in partnership with the KWES - the Kent Woodland Employment Scheme.

KWES has achieved some impressive progress over the last 18 months and now employs 16 people who are undertaking a three-year woodland management apprenticeship.

KWES has kindly provided an introduction to their project which we have published verbatim below.  

If you have any questions please contact Susannah Ferguson at KWES directly (contact details below).

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KWES Kent Woodland Employment Scheme is able to assist owners of ancient woodlands, particularly those which are not currently managed, by bringing them back into sustainable production, and profitability.   

Increases in demand for, and prices of, timber and woodfuel (logwood, chips and pellets) have made profits possible – but the pinch-point is the shortage of skilled workers able to restore the woodlands, and cut and extract the timber. 

KWES Kent Woodland Employment Scheme is a charity (and training company) set up to provide training and employment for ex-Service personnel, young people and ex-offenders  in Kent’s ancient woodlands. 

KWES now has 16 trainees whose apprenticeships last for three years, during which they are given theoretical training and practical experience in all aspects of woodland operations and management. 

These qualifications will ensure they are able to get worthwhile employment in woodland and forestry industries throughout the UK.  Particularly so as all our practical training will be carried out in ancient woodlands which need highly skilled operators.

KWES mainly works with woodland owners who recognise that the increasing demand for timber and wood for fuel provides an opportunity to restore their unmanaged woods back to economic sustainability.  KWES agrees to bring their woods back into production over a period of time using a rotational coppicing system in accordance with a Forestry Commission management plan.  

In return KWES can either be allowed to extract and sell the wood its apprentices cut or alternatively we can work on a contract basis for woodland owners whose woods are in need of restoration.

All our apprentices work to the highest possible standards and are supervised and work with our fully qualified team leaders.   Our workforce come equipped with their personal protective equipment, chain saws and other equipment as well as insurance.   When necessary we even provide specialised equipment for use in ancient woodlands such as a low impact forwarding trailer.

Do you own a woodland in need of restoration and if so would you like to make contact with KWES to see if we can help?

Please contact KWES’s administrator for more information:

Susannah Ferguson
Susannah@kwes.org.uk
07860 942900

What buyers of firewood want

We were so pleased to read about the results of Certainly Wood's customer feedback exercise.  Finding data for the wood fuel sector is notoriously hard - and if you do find some the base from which the statistics are derived can be woefully small.

At around 2,300 Certainly Wood's survey seems fairly robust.  We've not seen the actual survey or looked at the analysis - but taken at face value the results should be of interest to anyone involved in woodfuel.

Right at the top of the list is moisture content - and more specifically moisture content below 20%.  As we know Certainly Wood specialise in kiln-dried wood so this sort of confirms their USP.  However, it does reinforce that fact that most consumers are pretty well informed when it comes to seasoning and moisture and they clearly look for these attributes when buying logs.

Next up are sustainability, supply chain and production.  Encouraging to see that such high emphasis is placed on where the fuel comes from.  We are not familiar with Certainly Wood's supply chain but clearly their customers like buying British and are at least aware of the need for sustainable sourcing.

Given the paucity of information from the woodfuel sector this survey makes interesting reading.  We are also fairly impressed with the marketing approach.  

We know that not all firewood businesses are this large, but good marketing can clearly help drive business.  Berties Woodfuel, based in Hadlow in Kent, is another example of where simple marketing and branding can really help differentiate a business.

FUELWOOD OPEN DAYS

Fuelwood are holding two open days to show and demonstrate the full range of wood processing machinery they stock, including:

• AMR heavy duty 9t-28t vertical and horizontal Logsplitters
• AMR SAT 4700 automatic rotary barrel Drum Saw cutting 1m split billets
• Fuelwood Splitta 350 high volume netted logs
• Fuelwood Splitta 400 automatic Logsplitter processing oversize rings and Arb waste
• Fuelwood 4.5m Elevator NEW
• Fuelwood Log Cleaning Device NEW
• Fuelwood X-Frame Bagga for 1m3 log bags
• Fuelwood Kindlet 6” kindling machine
• Fuelwood Kindlet Pro variable length high volume kindling machine
• Japa 355 affordable 14” Firewood Processor
• Japa 700 sawblade Firewood Processor
• Lucas Mill 1030 mobile sawmill

The event will be held at Claywood (Warwick) on Friday 27th & Saturday 28th September (10.00am – 4.00pm).

Please call 01926 484673 or register at www.fuelwood.co.uk

Also on display:

• AMR heavy duty Winches 
• Fuelwood Transaw 350 XL Firewood Processor with 3 Chain Deck
• Japa Grapple
• Japa Saw Dust Extractors NEW
• Japa 305 BE road-towable Firewood Processor
• Japa 385 Expert with Deck
• Heizohack woodfuel Chipper HM4-300 
• Mowi Skog 65 & 85 
• Accessories - log decks, bagging chutes and systems

Fuelwood Open Day

National biomass suppliers database launched

The Forestry Commission’s Biomass Energy Centre (BEC) and the Carbon Trust have jointly launched the National Biomass Suppliers Database - a new way for people to find local and national companies which can supply them with woodfuel.

Since the introduction of the Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI), many more people are considering installing woodfuel-powered heating, but they are often unaware that the woodfuel supply chain is well established in many parts of the country.

The new map-based listing, which is also available on the Biomass Energy Centre website, includes the details of around 300 fuel suppliers operating across the UK.

The new system will make it easy to find the nearest, or preferable, fuel supplier, and the service is free - woodfuel suppliers can be included simply by registering and submitting their details online.

Forestry Commission England recently announced its Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant, which will increase the amount of wood entering the supply chain from currently under-managed woodlands.