Modelling timber offcuts utilisation: a case study in Victoria, Australia

By

Ghaffariyan, Mohammad Reza
Brown, Mark

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-6-11

Original Publication

Silva Balcanica

Volume

26

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

81--90

Subjects

biomass , Chipper , Cost , productivity , Timber offcut , Truck

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Forest Research Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (FRI-BAS) [2001]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/silvabalcanica.26.e141696

 

Abstract

This study evaluates the economic potential of utilizing timber offcuts for bioenergy in Victoria, Aus-tralia. Timber residues, often sent to landfills, present an opportunity for revenue generation through bioenergy production. We assessed chipping productivity and transportation costs, utilizing the Vermeer BC1500 chipper, which yielded an average productivity of 7.5 t/PMH and a cost of 5.5/t. Transporta-tion was modelled using a small woodchip truck with payload of 10 t over distances ranging from 30 to 100 km. Results indicate transport costs increased from .5/t to .0/t with distance. Profitability analysis revealed that transporting wood chips is still viable up to 100 km, with average profits decreasing as distance increases. This research underscores the economic benefits of biomass recovery, highlight-ing potential savings of 70/t compared to landfill disposal, thereby promoting sustainability in offcuts utilisation.