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Production

THE PATHFINDER PRODUCTION AND QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS

An exacting production plan is used by Pathfinder Renewable Energy to ensure the consistent supply of high quality chip to the end user.

This covers all aspects that have relevance to quantity, quality, and consistency which must be controlled from forest to customer.

The company has set up a co-operative of timber producers  and others who will supply quantities of timber in line with the expected growth in demand for chip. This ensures that there is always sufficient supply of timber that has been dried to the required moisture content and is available throughout the year in a volume that can accommodate seasonal fluctuations.

The producers conform to standards set by the company that ensure the timber supplied is:

1. Sourced in Wales
2. Clean of contamination from the felling and extraction operation
3. Sustainable and Legal
4. Stacked in a location and manner that will aid natural drying
5. Located where it will be readily available for removal or processing throughout the year
6. Separated from other produce and clearly marked
7. Going to produce chip that will be low in ash content after its processed

In addition producer records are required to log the production data of all materials and updates are regularly supplied to the company. From these the company reconciles supply with production forecasts to ensure that sufficient stocks of timber of the correct quality will be available to accommodate rising demand.

Supplier timber is usually stored on the suppliers' sites for as long as possible while the drying process occurs. It is then either chipped on site or, on arrival at the company's premises the moisture content is checked and the weight and nature of the material recorded. If the material has to be further stored before chipping it is marked and recorded.

Chipping is carried out using a special type of chipper specifically designed to produce chips that comply with the exacting requirements of wood chip boilers. 

After chipping a representative sample is taken from each batch of supplier material to again check the moisture content. The chip is then stored under cover in one of our barns until supply to the customer.

Pathfinder has become the first and only biomass fuel producer in South Wales to have gained Quality Assurance accreditation under the Woodsure scheme, an initiative which has the backing of the Forestry Commission and is run by Westwoods in Bristol.

For more details please contact us.