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62
Evaluation of Opportunities for Converting Indigenous UK Wastes to Wastes and Energy
AEA/ED45551/Issue 1
Table 27 Forestry residue arisings in the UK, based on total area of 2.8 M ha, and estimates of residue/ha pa 93
Residue
Broad-Leaf
Residue
Conifer
Total
Residue (odt
pa)
Broadleaf Conifer
Region (‘000 ha) (‘000 ha) (odt pa) (odt pa)
England 757 367 302,800 550,500 853,300
Wales 127 158 50,800 237,000 287,800
Scotland
Northern
293 1,048 117,200 1,572,000 1,689,200
Ireland 103 15 56 595 83,265 83,860
UK - Total 1,177 1,573 470,800 2,359,500 2,830,300
The report by McKay et al (2003) does not provide the equivalent data for Northern Ireland, hence the arising data for Northern
Ireland in Table 26 has been estimated using the above method.
4.6.4 Primary processing co-products
Definition and Composition
The process of converting trees into usable wooden products creates considerable wastage.
Approximately 50% of the volume of stem wood that is sold to sawmills is usually converted into timber
products such as planks, batons, etc. 100 The remainder is commonly called co-product and can include
bark, chips, off cuts and sawdust. Such co-products are normally sold, used for a variety of different
purposes including paper and panel boards manufacture. Hence these products often already have an
existing market. However, it is anticipated that 10% of all co-products would be available as fuel sources
without major effects on existing industries.
Current Arisings
Table 28 outlines the primary processing co-product arising in Great Britain. It can be seen that
approximately 2% is used as wood fuel, most of which is used by the sawmills themselves. The latest
figures indicate that 83% of co-product is consumed by the panel board industries.
Table 28 Proportions of primary processing co-products sold for further use. 100
Sold to Wood Processing
Industries
Other Sales
Weight Co-product Weight Co-product Weight
Co-product (odt pa)
(odt pa)
(odt pa)
Sawdust 158,742 Sawdust 12,890 Sold as bark 95,664
Slabwood 1,039 Slabwood 48 Burnt for heat 11,931
Peeled
Peeled
Disposed
Chips 487,570 Chips 12,161 rubbish/burning 797
Unpeeled
Unpeeled
Total co-
Chips 63,652 Chips 5,411 products 859,002
Other 5,203 Firewood 2,941 Other 953
Exploring the arisings at a regional level produces the following results:
• Almost half (47%) of the co-product originates from Scottish mills, with 34% from England and
19% from Wales.
• Within England there are striking contrasts in arisings with the West Midlands accounting for 35%
of English production and 12% of British output but the neighbouring East Midlands producing
less than one tenth of the table below.
103 Forest Service, 2002. Facts and Figures, http://www.forestserviceni.gov.uk/factfigures01-02.pdf