Cumbria-based Stobart Biomass handled 400,000 tonnes of biomass in 2010 and in 2012 expects this figure to reach a million tonnes, the company has revealed. It is also branching into new areas, such as the export of refuse-derived fuel (RDF).
Last year we moved about 400,000 tonnes of biomass, which is pretty good, Stobart marketing manager April Stobart told letsrecycle.com. About 200,000 tonnes of that was waste wood grade C wood – which we export to Scandinavia. We do our biggest tonnages in waste wood.
Stobart Biomass was originally set up as a joint venture between the logistics giant Stobart Group and leading forest products company AW Jenkinson (see letsrecycle.com story). But, in May 2011, Stobart bought the remaining 50% stake in the company, meaning that it is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Stobart Group.
Alan Jenkinson [of AW Jenkinson] is still involved a lot with the Stobart Group and we still work very closely with them and they supply us with a lot of material, Ms Stobart said.
The company sources what it says is sustainable biomass such as life expired timber, low grade softwood and waste materials. Waste wood is particular in demand because it is dryer than virgin material and has a higher calorific value.
About a third of the biomass is sent to the UK market but over two-thirds is sent to power plants and panelboard manufacturers in Europe via the Channel Tunnel and seven UK ports: Plymouth, Cardiff, Avonmouth, Garston, Hull, London and Shoreham. European customers include Malerenergie in Sweden and A&S Energie in Belgium.
However, Stobart Biomass says it expects the proportion of material it exports to reduce as more UK-based biomass plants come online. Development of many of these facilities has been stalled over recent months due to uncertainties over the government subsidy they receive (see letsrecycle.com story).
For example, the company recently signed a 90 million contract with paper company Iggesund Paperboard part of Swedish forestry group Holmen – in West Cumbria. Iggesund is developing a biomass plant which will take waste wood and comes online at the end of 2012.
At the moment we are exporting waste wood as there are not many plants in the UK which can take it, says Ms Stobart. But we have secured about five contracts which come in at the end of 2012 to the end of 2013 so that we will be able to switch a lot of our supply to the UK.
RDF
Another growth area for Stobart is in the export of refuse-derived fuel. Figures obtained by letsrecycle.com last month (see letsrecycle.com story) revealed that, although none was actually sent, the company was permitted by the Environment Agency to export 30,000 tonnes of the material to Sweden between September 2010 and September 2011.
The company is one of a growing number of businesses which see growth potential in this market.
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Ms Stobart said: We have started to branch into the export of RDF. It needs to be shredded, dried and baled before it can be shipped and we have bought two RDF shredders. The shredders are being installed at Garston docks on Merseyside. The RDF is also being sent to Sweden where it is used in CHP district heating schemes.
We see RDF being a big part of our business as there are millions of tonnes in the UK. Its classed as a fuel now, not a waste. We have had a lot of enquiries now from people wanting to develop biomass plants wanting to burn RDF.
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