Large scale production of wood chips for fuel

The paper is based on the results of the national Wood Energy Technology Programme in 1999 - 2004 and the practical experiences of forest fuel production organizations in Finland. Traditionally, the major barriers to the large-scale use of forest residues for fuel are high cost of production, unsatisfactory fuel quality and unreliable supply. To overcome the barriers, the supply system must be integrated with the existing timber procurement organizations of the forest industries, procurement logistics must be refined, productivity of work must be improved through machine and system development and through learning, and the receiving and handling of chips at a plant must be adapted to wood fuels of variable quality. When the special requirements are met, wood chips are a viable and environmentally friendly fuel for large heating and CHP plants. (author)