The Supply Chain

Drawing on the UK’s most extensive network of biomass sources, Stobart Biomass is responsible for supplying contracts in the hundreds of thousands of tonnes to Europe’s leading low carbon energy generators.

This broad spectrum of supply plays an invaluable role in removing what is seen as the biggest issue in biomass; consistency of delivery and volume. Essentially, with such a varied group of sources, the traditional problems associated with winter forestry shutdowns are circumvented by the shortfall being made up by Stobart Biomass’ other suppliers, fully supported by extensive stockpiling of material at a number of locations nationally.

The Company has close working relationships with most of the major companies involved in sourcing recycled material from municipal sources, the commercial sector and construction and demolition groups; processing waste wood and forestry and brash materials on its own sites, as well as working with partner businesses.

Stobart Biomass sources virgin material from numerous UK timber processing operations, including AW Jenkinson Forest Products and other key forestry related businesses. Major UK sawmills are also a key source of chips and residues that are utilised for biomass; Stobart Biomass have built a string of solid long-term relationships and contracts that guarantee fuel supplies for its customer base.

Refuse Derived Waste (RDF) is collected from waste processing and waste management companies. Stobart Biomass works very closely with several large scale commercial operators to produce an excellent quality fuel product for its customers. By working in partnership with producers, Stobart Biomass ensures supply chain integrity is maintained and that, as biomass demand increases, that
demands can be met.

Stobart Biomass actively encourages the development of new production facilities by suppliers; assuring their viability through long-term off take arrangements and working to ensure consistent feedstock flows are maintained. This strong support of suppliers is backed by high quality and consistency demands by Stobart Biomass. The business regularly audits its entire supply chain to make sure processing standards and substrate quality match individual customer requirements.

Sources of Biomass

Sawmills		Sawmills and manufacturers of timber products are a key source for a wide range of chipped and  unchipped grades of wood for biomass fuel. Material is supplied to Stobart Biomass as offcuts and slabwood in its raw form and as wood chips, sawdust, flake and a mixed grade fibre. Stobart Biomass work closely with a number of the UK’s major milling businesses; providing access to the huge volumes of material required to meet the highest peaks in consumption.
Arborcultural Arisings		Virgin ‘Arbo’ material comes from a wide variety of sources. Suppliers range from forestry operations through tree surgery businesses and landowners with storm fallen trees to private and municipal landscaping and parks maintenance operations. Material is supplied both ready chipped and unchipped wood which can vary from brush, branches and twigs known in the business as ‘brash’ to ‘lop and top’ from forestry and whole trees.
RCF		RCF, recycled fibre, comprises a wide variety of life-expired timber and panelboard products. Typical sources of this material vary from municipal and commercial waste sites, reclamation and demolition operations. The grade of the end product produced depends on the types of woods and levels of contamination.
RDF/SRF		Refuse Derived Waste is sourced from waste processors and waste management companies, who in turn have collected the raw material from manufacturing and municipal suppliers. Stobart Biomass work in close partnership with several large commercial operators to ensure they can provide a high quality refusederived biofuel that matches the specifications of its customers.