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Forestry Commission Wales Supply of Biomass to Western Bio Energy

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Forestry Commission Wales Supply of Biomass to Western Bio Energy Case Study Forestry Commission Wales Background and drivers Supply of certified biomass Supply of biomass to Western Forestry Commission Wales is the Welsh All of the wood fibre supplied by Forestry Bio Energy Government’s Department of Forestry. Its role is to Commission Wales under its contract with Western promote sustainable management of woodlands to Bio Energy is certified by the Forest Stewardship increase their value to society and the environment. Council (FSC) and PEFC. Forestry Commission It also manages 125,000 hectares of woodland on Wales uses its operational and programme behalf of the Welsh Government. planning system to identify what fibre to use, and to ensure that: In 2002, a number of traditional virgin wood fibre • timing and scale of forest operations minimize markets in Wales and just across the border in environmental disturbance England increased their use of recycled wood fibre as their primary raw material. This led to a fall • appropriate harvesting methods minimize in both the value of and the demand for smaller damage to soils and water diameter round timber, especially in South Wales. • operating methods reflect site sensitivities, retaining living and dead trees, clumps, patches, Forestry Commission Wales invited business buffers and corridors proposals in an effort to promote new or alternative • brash harvesting is managed according to markets. One proposal came from Western the Forestry Commission’s “Guidance on Site Bio Energy Ltd, which operates a 10MW Selection for Brash Removal”. This informs site biomass power plant near Port Talbot, South selection, and timing and quantity of brash and Wales. This led to a 12-year supply contract stumps to be recovered. between Forestry Commission Wales and Western Bio Energy for up to 66,000 tonnes of wood fibre per year. From the start, there was a fundamental commitment to making sure that the supply of wales biomass was sustainable, following the UK Forestry Standard and Forestry Commission Wales’s forest certification. Bioenergy has provided a new market for smaller diameter timber in South Wales. TONNES OF WOOD FIBRE SUPPLIED PER YEAR 66,000 1 | Read the New Generation Plantations Bioenergy and Carbon Report 2011 in full at www.newgenerationplantations.com Case Study Forestry Commission Wales Supply of biomass to Western Bio Energy Management practices The risk of damage depends on site sensitivity; on Risk category with recommended good The “Guidance on Site Selection for Brash many sites it can be effectively controlled by good practice measures to control risk Removal” has been developed to ensure that planning and forest management. The Forestry brash recovery – seen as a new forest operation Commission has produced a number of guides on Low – meets the requirements of sustainable forest good practice: Normal good practice management. It has established best practice • Whole-Tree Harvesting: A Guide to Good protocols for both site assessment and operational Practice (1997) Medium practice. Brash is only recovered from sites where Brash baling and brash removal should be the risks are considered manageable. The following • Forests and Soil Conservation Guidelines (1998) limited to largely needle-free brash (<20% factors are taken into consideration: • Forests and Water Guidelines (2003) needles remaining), except on groundwater gley soils, where fresh brash can be removed. • machine traffic causing physical damage to • Protecting the Environment during Mechanised Brash removal should be restricted to dry soil such as compaction, rutting and erosion, Harvesting Operations (2005) leading to increased turbidity and siltation of periods unless it involves secondary extraction, • Managing Brash on Conifer Clearfell Sites local watercourses which can be done in wet periods. Enough (2006). brash needs to be retained on site and extraction • removal of essential nutrients (nitrogen, routes to protect soils from machine traffic. phosphorus and potassium) and carbon in The guidance adopts a relatively broad-brush, precautionary approach. It recommends avoiding brash residues, leading to lower soil fertility, High the removal of brash residues in potential acid- potential loss of tree growth in subsequent Removal of brash is unlikely to be sustainable sensitive areas and on all nutrient-poor soils (where rotations, and reduced soil carbon storage and should generally be avoided. Could be poor fertility may limit tree growth). • removal of base cations (calcium, magnesium, considered if nutrients and/or base cations are sodium and potassium) reducing soil buffering replaced via remedial treatments such as The guidance enables managers to allocate sites to capacity and leading to increased acidification applying limestone or wood ash (none needed a risk category based on physical characteristics, of soil and stream water. on Juncus bogs), subject to an assessment of then follow the appropriate best practice. suitability, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. Enough brash of adequate strength must be retained to protect soils from machine traffic. 2 | Read the New Generation Plantations Bioenergy and Carbon Report 2011 in full at www.newgenerationplantations.com Case Study Forestry Commission Wales Supply of biomass to Western Bio Energy The critical role of sustainable forest Outputs, results and lessons learned management Forestry Commission Wales can meet its long- The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS), first published term contractual commitment to supply biomass in 1998, provides a comprehensive statement of for bioenergy sustainably. The material it supplies the UK government’s approach to sustainable carries the FSC/PEFC label, demonstrating that forestry. It explains how the UKFS will be delivered it’s a product of woodland managed to the in practice, and defines the criteria and indicators highest standard. of sustainable management for all forests in the UK. These are linked to the developing international Long-term management protocols for sustainable forestry. plans, which allow Forestry The UKFS also forms the basis for the UK Commission Wales to estimate Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS). This provides a voluntary national standard of its future production levels, are responsible forest management, supported by essential for entering into such forestry, environmental and social organizations and by the government. UKWAS requires forest a long-term supply contract. managers to comply with the law and certification standards on: • management planning • woodland design: creation, felling and replanting • operations • protection and maintenance • conservation and enhancement of biodiversity • the community The Forestry Commission has produced guidance on • forestry workforce. sustainable brash removal. In 1999, the woodland Forestry Commission Wales manages on behalf of the Welsh Government was certified as meeting the highest international environmental, economic and social standards, as set by the FSC/PEFC. Certified status is maintained with an annual independent audit. 3 | Read the New Generation Plantations Bioenergy and Carbon Report 2011 in full at www.newgenerationplantations.com.
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