NFE prepares for the worst so our customers can hope for the best…

According to the Met Office, the past 3 heating seasons (2013/14 to 2015/16) have seen temperatures in line with, or above the long-term seasonal average. Not since the spring of 2013 have we experienced a severe and protracted cold snap.

Prior to 2013, the standard fuel supplied to end-users was a G30 or G50 woodchip at 30-35% moisture content, attained by seasoning roundwood at roadside for 12-18 months prior to production. This model worked well until Spring 2013, which was very cold and late and led to a number of suppliers struggling to continue to supply high quality woodchip at the required specification.

After this cold period, the industry had to recover very quickly to ensure there was enough dry chip and timber for the next heating season, especially if it was another cold year. This was where the major push for force drying began.

With Ofgem relaxing rules on commercial drying operations, the deployment of woodchip drying systems across the UK has been a major part of the sectors growth in the past 2 years, with just-in-time production businesses the latest addition to the supplier base.

On paper, just-in-time production seems a very logical and sustainable position – you will not have to pay for large storage facilities for 2 years of roundwood or thousands of cubic metres of woodchip, but what happens if there is a long cold snap or the supplier has mechanical breakdowns? With no buffer, these suppliers will be very exposed during a repeat of the cold conditions of 3 years ago.

High Quality Woodchip – New Forest Energy

 

At NFE, we were very late to the idea of a dryer, as it could not keep up with the volumes we supply. Instead, we invested in large-scale storage and created the largest purpose-built woodchip hub on the South Coast.

Our shed can store over 12,000m³ woodchip when full and never less than 5000m³, which means we could supply dry high quality woodchip to customers at short-notice and in exceptionally high volume for weeks at a time without the need for drying or chipping new fuel.

Many new suppliers will offer hugely competitive prices and long-term contracts without ever having seen a cold winter. If you are let down by your supplier later this year, you can rest assured NFE will have plenty of dry fuel in stock, even in the coldest and wettest conditions and our competitive supply rates are open to all: not just contracted customers!

For new sales enquires, please call or email Dan Kinash to discuss your requirements.