Wood-fuel savings

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 22

Wood-fuel savings

Big savings in imported oil could be made by using timber residue as a heating fuel, according to a Forestry Council report. In many parts of the timber industry, all or most of the heating requirements could come from wood residue, said the report. Other manufacturers might also be able to take advantage of residue. on a regional basis, to cut fuel bills.

The report has been produced by a council

study group to assess the forestry industry’s usage and production of energy.

About 2.5 M cu m of timber residue is produced each year. Less than half of the residue is processed further, and very little of the rest is used as fuel.

The study group found that some timber companies were using residue to provide up to 90 per cent of their heating. Heating accounts for 72 per cent of the total energy used in the in-

dustry, compared with 24 per cent for electrical energy and 4 per cent for motive energy.

Although the forestry industry used less than 6 per cent of New Zealand’s total imported petroleum fuels, the report said, any replacement of these fuels would mean significant savings, which could spread to other industries. A Northland dairy' factory is already using wood residues from a nearby saw mill.