MHG launched a free web-based forest fuel calculator that reveals the profitability and environmental effects of the forest biofuel business

Now released tool will explicitly reveal the importance of acknowledging the effects of biofuel moisture levels on the profitability of the biofuel business and rapidly increasing environmental impacts, especially when the biofuel supply chains are not working properly.The service has been designed during several different projects and in cooperation with the Joensuu Research Unit of the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla), the University of Joensuu and several forest biofuel suppliers. This just Biofuel moisture management and detailed documentation constitute an integral part of the MHG Bioenergy ERP service

According to the lead designer of the moisture calculator, Professor Lauri Sikanen of the University of Joensuu, the optimal moisture content of forest fuel would be approximately 30% for the profitability of forest fuel business and environmental emissions, based on the research data gathered so far.

 
The typical moisture level of forest biofuel deliveries is currently almost 50%. MHG's moisture calculator reveals that this level will increase the costs of a forest biofuel delivery chain by nearly 240,000 euros for a heating and power plant in a medium-sized Finnish town. Measured in truck loads, it means more than 800 additional 60-ton truck loads of chips to be delivered to the plant. ”If the fuel is to be delivered from young forest stands, the plant would have to buy, harvest, chip and transport 874 more hectares of them. All this additional work in the various stages of the delivery chain causes almost 500 tons of unnecessary carbon dioxide emissions", says Dominik Röser, a senior researcher of the Joensuu Research Unit of the Finnish Forest Research Institute.

The Joensuu Research Unit of the Finnish Forest Research Institute and University of Joensuu are currently developing the algorithm for predicting the moisture content of forest fuel. The algorithm integration to the MHG Systems'  MHG Bioenergy ERP service is also under way”, says Seppo Huurinainen, the managing director of MHG Systems Ltd. ”We will receive more data from our fuel suppliers during this summer and autumn, after which we will have sufficient amount of data to accurately predict the moisture levels of forest biofuels in our service. MHG Systems' bioenergy industry ERP solution, designed specifically for the bioenergy industry, enables the customers to monitor the moisture levels of other biofuel deliveries (such as agro energy) in real time", Huurinainen continues.

For more information: Download the press release here .

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For more information about this press release:
Seppo Huurinainen, tel: +358 44 581 4950
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