UK-based Forest Fuels opens new wood pellet depot in Liverpool
UK wood fuel supplier Forest Fuels has opened a new wood pellet depot at Garston, Liverpool, in a bid to increase its financial investment in the region.
The ready availability of wood pellets for biomass boilers in the North West of England has been boosted with the arrival of Forest Fuels to its new facility in Liverpool, according to the company.
The facility will hold a huge amount of wood pellet – nearly 10 times the amount that it held at its previous depot. This will greatly enhance availability of fuel – particularly for Forest Fuels long-term customers – from as far north as the Scottish borders to as far south as Staffordshire and Mid Wales.
The site also provides a boost for associated businesses in Liverpool, supporting jobs in Forest Fuels’ supply chain, which delivers sustainable, environmentally-friendly wood fuel across the UK from its local depots.
Positive future
Forest Fuels managing director Peter Solly said: “This is another positive step forward for the sector in the North West of England and great news for our long-term customers who want to be certain that they can get wood fuel when they need it at this crucial time of year. Our previous facility was much smaller, and this increased capacity means we are now able to offer improved continuity of supply.”
The two-shed depot is dedicated solely to wood pellets and includes a conveyor-driven screening plant, resulting in high-quality clean fuel, the company said. Coupled with rigorous quality controls, the screening facility passes all of the wood pellets along a conveyor belt and removes dust and smaller broken pellets before being loaded onto the delivery vehicle.
Forest Fuels North West account manager Grant Miller said: “Dust and broken pellets are one of the most common causes of boiler breakdowns and inefficiencies, so this new system offers customers further assurance. It will mean less boiler failures, less worry, more boiler uptime and a much cleaner working environment.”
Expansion plans
Forest Fuels’ investment in the Liverpool facility is part of its long-term strategy to help biomass compete alongside fossil fuels, by ensuring the process of ordering fuel is simple, professional and fully automated.
Now the UK’s largest biomass wood fuel supplier, the company has recently increased the number of depots it has around the UK to 44, and is continuing to consolidate the market and develop its operations through key acquisitions and organic growth.
This story was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Bioenergy Insight .
