How Green is Your Outlook? Profit From Waste

May 17, 2010 - PRLog -- Gloucestershire, UK -- Farm Feed Systems Limited ( http://www.ffspelletmills.com ) is helping many companies achieve two major objectives - cutting expensive waste and providing a green solution to fuel sourcing. This innovative company makes machinery that converts biomass crops and waste products into pellets for fertiliser or boiler fuel.

In an interview with David Hey, their Sales and Marketing Director, he explains their approach to solving problems for companies and communities.....

"Waste materials are costly to dispose of when sent to local landfill sites - as much as £60 per ton" says Hey. "More progressive industries are now looking at ways to reduce costs and turn waste into profit".

"This applies not only process waste from factories or assembly lines, but also to crops that are specially grown for their biomass potential, which are generally accepted as being carbon neutral".

Figures show that demand in the UK for combustible pellets is currently greatly exceeding supply.

Hey explains "Traditionally, Farm Feed Systems ( http://www.ffspelletmills.com ) designed, manufactured and supplied animal feed mills for farmers throughout the world. In 2002, the Company embarked on a research and development project to adapt its traditional animal feed machinery for the purpose of producing biomass fuel pellets for an emerging "carbon neutral" alternative energy market in the UK".

Wood and straw fuel pellets have long been seen as a "green" alternative to fossil fuel energy sources. At the turn of the century the UK market for this alternative fuel was restricted to those who wanted friendly energy alternatives regardless of cost. However, with the recent and constant rise in fossil fuel costs, and a greener outlook, demand for this alternative fuel has increased dramatically. Statistics indicate that, in each of the last two years, wood fuel pellet usage has been increasing at an annual rate of 200% because wood pellets are now competing favourably on price, as well as offering neutral carbon emissions.

"Our first Biomass pellet mill to process wood and straw was sold to Coed Cymru in 2005, and is being used for test pelleting various raw materials. The mill can be seen on the Coed Cymru web site. Our second full scale automated pelleting plant was sold to the Forestry Commission Scotland in 2006 and as part of the North Sea Bio Energy project. The project was designed to establish the viability of small scale wood pelleting installations."

Hey continues "Plants have also been installed at Teagasc (Crops research institute) in Carlow, Irish Republic which produces pellets from a variety of biomass, including rape, hemp, miscanthus straw, and coppiced willow. Current projects include building an automated plant for reed processing in the Danube Delta".

There are well-documented examples of large scale commercial facilities with capacities of 30,000 tonnes of wood pellets per year. There are currently 3 in the UK with plans to build more. Although this method of manufacturing is highly efficient, many of the environmental advantages are lost through the need to collect and then distribute 30,000 tonnes of materials over a very large area. Transport for collection and delivery offsets the ‘green’ advantage.

David Hey continues "Conversely, the philosophy at Farm Feed Systems ( http://www.ffspelletmills.com ) is to supply small scale pelleting solutions - up to 1 tonne per hour or 500 tonnes per annum - which can be sited at the source of raw material supply. This may typically be saw mills or manufacturers of wooden products such as flooring, windows and furniture. Delivery of finish product would normally be within a 20 mile radius of the point of manufacture, thereby minimising the use of fossil fuel. Manufacturing cost per tonne is slightly higher than by commercial methods by capital outlay is as little as £70,000 as opposed to several million pounds for commercial sites".

Farm Feed Systems Ltd ( http://www.ffspelletmills.com ) is the only UK-based manufacturer of small scale Biomass Pelleting solutions. "We have a small level of competition from overseas companies, but currently we are the only UK company offering fully automated plants, and are able to compete very favourably. We design each production line to suit a particular Client’s needs and circumstances".

"Since the so called 'credit crunch', many businesses are suffering as a result in reduced demand for their products and are looking to diversify. Until very recently, funding for the capital outlay has represented serious problems for potential customers due to the reluctance of financial institutions to lend money. However, new government initiatives are easing the problem through a scheme to underwrite capital investment in ‘green’ projects. As a result, FFS are currently seeing a large influx of enquiries and orders. There are examples of pay-back calculations and source of grants available on our website".

More information can be obtained from their website at http://www.ffspelletmills.com

Press Contact:
David Hey
Farm Feed Systems Ltd
Foxes Bridge Road
Forest Vale Industrial Estate
Cinderford, Gloucestershire, GL14 2PH, UK
01594 825106
ffs@clearwebservices.com
http://www.ffspelletmills.com