Wood Energy basics

Wood Energy South have developed a guide to wood energy basics. This guide covers types of wood, wood boilers, the price of wood fuels and payback, the main components of biomass heating systems and examples of who else is using wood-fuel in Southland.

Full Guide

Wood boiler installation guide

This guide has been developed by the County Clare Wood Energy Project and provides information on boiler facts, the installation process and a boiler installation case study. It is an informative and relevant document for parties interested in wood energy.

Full Guide


Specifier Practice Paper

This practice paper seeks to provide broad guidance, primarily for Consultants and Specifiers, on evaluating and carrying out wood fuelled industrial and commercial heating system projects. The paper covers hot water and saturated steam plant for a size range typical of small to medium commercial and industrial plant, and common wood fuel types.
The paper considers initial project evaluation to establish business criteria and basic economic viability, system and project design (heat loads, fuel supplies, plant design), and contracting.

Full Practice Paper


Emissions control options

PM emissions control options for wood boilers 

This report produced by the Biomass Energy Resource Centre (BERC)  provides information on best management practices (BMP) for emissions control equipment. This report is based on wood fuels replacing gas or oil boiler systems but coal boiler systems are not considered in this report. However, the information relating to emissions equipment is very informative and relavant.

Full Report

Emissions Control for Small Wood-fired Boilers

This report produced by the Biomass Energy Resource Centre (BERC)  provides a lot more detail on the effectiveness of emission costs including costing, and best practice in Europe. The report is American based so reports in US$ and imperial units but the information is very informative and relevant. 

Full Report


Wood Fuel Storage and Handling

Fuel Storage and Delivery

This guidance document, produced by Regen SW, outlines the options for storing woodfuels including either logs, pellets or woodchips and the considerations around the best option for your site. 

Full Report

Woodfuel Handling and Distribution

This guidance document, produced by Regen SW, outlines the economic considerations for distributing and handling woodfuels. It is mostly related to the supply chain side of the operations but has some useful information on bunker design and sizing.

Full Report

Toploader handling systems

Over the lat few years Toploader fuel handling systems have been developed and are becoming more and more popular. Click on the link below to find out more about these systems.

More information

Woodfuel Delivery and Storage for Industrial Applications

This document outlines delivery and storage options for larger industrial applications such as district heating plant, hotels or factories. This document also considers how to design for auger maintenance and access due to blockages.

Full Report

Wood Energy Cartage Options in Southland

The design of the fuel delivery and storage is influenced by the types of truck options available. For an overview of the options available in Southland click on the report below. 

Full Report


Coal conversion and co-firing boilers with woodchiping boilers with woodchip

Wood and Coal Co-firing

Developed by the Bioenergy Association of NZ (BANZ), this paper provides a summary of the findings of a recent BANZ funded study tour of several boiler plants in Europe which have been converted from coal firing to co-firing of coal and wood and to wood firing only. Access the BANZ page here.

Full Report

EFL co-firing trial at Dunedin Energy Centre

In 2008, Energy for Industry trialed co-firing woodchip in their coal boilers. Results of the trial are outlined in the case study below.

Full Report.


WoodFuel supply contracts

Paying for Woodfuel on Energy Content

Scion Research have developed this useful resource outlining the details required for entering into a contract to pay for woodfuel based on energy content. Wood Energy South believe this is the most suitable contract option and this is explained in the following document.

Full Report

Fuel Supply Contract Options

There are a number of contract options that are discussed in this document by Regen SW. The advantages and issues of these options are investigated in the following report along with methods for quantifying supply and the important features of a fuel supply contract.

Full Report

Biomass Ash Utilisation and Disposal Options


Ash is often overlooked when investigating biomass boiler system. But for industrial and large commercial users, the volumes of ash are significant so utilisation and disposal options need to be carefully considered. This document will outline some of the key considerations and options for biomass ash disposal. The majority of this content has been sourced from The Handbook of Biomass Combustion and Cofiring or from our own research in Southland, NZ.

Information sheet