Quality Assurance Accreditation Award 2011

High Standards Ensure Fuel Efficiency

Now in its fourth year of operation the company is supplying woodchip to 6 heat energy boilers in South Wales, including the new Rhondda hospital which at 1MW (Heat) until very recently had the largest boiler of its kind in Wales. It has a 100 m³ Fuel store and operates 24/7, Providing hot water and central heating in the winter as well as air conditioning in the summer. An exacting production plan is used by Pathfinder to ensure the consistent supply of high quality, air-dried, uncontaminated chip to the end user from its two processing depots near Usk. At the same time the supply chain is evolving and expanding to minimise the negative impact of transport costs.

Services

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We are now able to offer consultancy services and "turn key" facilities to maintain, advise on, design, administer, supply and install boilers and boiler systems as well as virgin woodchip biomass for wood burning heating and hot water systems. All our timber comes from independently verifiable, sustainable, legal and uncomtaminated sources in Wales and the South west. We supply and deliver high quality uncontaminated woodchip fuel (from 30 –100mm cu, i.e. below > G100>, At 30% moisture content upwards) within a 50 mile radius of Usk, Monmouthshire on demand within 5 working days. Our minimum quantity is 5 tonnes. Smaller amounts and deliveries outside our normal business area will attract a surcharge.

Mutual Cooperation

The margins on the production and delivery of quality woodchip for heat only boilers are crucial and minimal, mainly due to the cost of transport. Anything that can mutually be done to reduce transport or timber costs will improve the carbon footprint of the exercise. For example, the supply of "own" local timber, or the provision of "tree stations" close to the point of use, significantly improve the economics.

Pathfinder is now able to provide boiler maintenance and ash collection services, as well as solid biomass boiler design and sizing consultancy capability. Through its association with EGNISCO, the company is able to give advice on the new Renewable Heat Incentive (R.H.I.) scheme and offer ESCO facilities for boiler and long term heat contracts.

Our Suppliers

Our suppliers are every bit as important to us as our customers and may also be one and the same. It is only by acquiring low or nil cost timber through tree surgeons, woodland managers, local authorities and other agencies that the chip can be produced at a competitive price. Supplies come from essential thinning (coppicing and selective felling to improve spacings) utilities, local authorities' the forestry commission and other private sources. From this we build the necessary sustainable reserves of drying timber to meet future demand for woodchip.

A tree station or wood fuel store is an open area for storing, drying and chipping timber close to road or track access. Depending on the constraints and location of the site a fully stocked tree station would hold up to 1000 cubic metres of material (but can be any size from 100 m³ up). Ideal sites are woodland stacking areas and farm or disused industrial hard standing areas. Timber is deposited at the tree station by local contractors, tree surgeons, sawmills and foresters when they have suitable material available in the area and by woodland owners as a bi-product of woodland management.

"As cheap as chips and Green as well"

FUEL RELATIVE COST PERKWh
FUEL	TYPE	UNIT	PRICE	P/PerKWh
Woodchip	Woodchip Delivered	Tonne	£95.00	2.30p
Coal	House coal (bulk)	Bulk (Tonne)	£260.00	3.15p
Wood Pellet	8mm wood pellets	Tonne	£190.00	3.60p
Mains Gas	Mains Gas (domestic)	KWh	£0.04	4.30p
Heating Oil	Oil (domestic)	Litre	£0.59	5.50p
Electricity	Electricity (domestic)	KWh	£0.13	13.00p

(Note unit prices exclude VAT at 5%)

Tax Breaks, Grants and Company Policies

The current availability of enhanced capital allowances and the new Renewable Heat Incentive Grants (R.H.I.) makes biomass installations a very attractive proposition.

R.H.I. LEVELS OF SUPPORT

Tariff name	Eligible Technology	Eligible sizes	Tariff rate (pence/kWh)	Tariff Duration (Years)	Support calculation
Small biomass	Solid biomass, logs, chips, pellets	Less than 200 kWth	Tier 1: 7.6 Tier 2: 1.9	20	Metering. Tier 1 applies annually up to the Tier Break, Tier 2 above the Tier Break.
Medium biomass	Logs, chips, pellets	200 kWth and above; less than 1000 kWth	Tier 1: 4.7 Tier 2: 1.9	20	The Tier Break is: installed capacity x 1,314 peak load hours, i.e.: kWth x 1,314
Large biomass	Solid biomass logs, chips, pellets	1000 kWth and above	1.0	20	Metering

Getting In Touch

If you are looking to sell thinnings or uncontaminated timber, considering a woodchip fuelled boiler, or you need a specialist supplier of reliable, sustaiable clean woodchip in South East Wales, contact us. We would be happy to advise you on the way forward.

Please feel free to telephone, fax, or email we look forward to hearing from you.

Contact:                                      Contact:
Michael Read FSI (Hon) CEO            Stephen Drummond
Tel: 01633 450 159                        01938 500803
Fax: 01633 450 159
Email: pathfinder.r@btinternet.com

Pathfinder Renewable Energy     EGNISCO
Graigwith Farm
Llangybi
Usk
NP15 1NZ

"Tougher targets for greenhouse gas emissions are a must. Wood matters and recycling Welsh Wood matters even more. Pathfinder Renewable Energy asks it's customers and suppliers to join us in this enterprise because together we can make Wales even greener!"

Pathfinder Renewable Energy: Graigwith Farm : Llangybi : Usk : Monmouthshire : NP15 1NZ Tel.01633 450159
Company Reg 05858441 England & Wales : VAT No. 891444013 : pathfinder.r@btinternet.com