AHS Energy

Turning over an Old Leaf

For many years AHS has been associated with its maple leaf logo, and a darn fine logo it is. 

 

But AHS has changed and it has grown, and we felt it was time to present an image that better reflected the nature (!) of the business, and provided a link between our various activities.

 

Not for AHS, the simple reversing of colours, as BP famously did some years ago with their green on yellow/yellow on green effort.  We have had a radical rethink, and we are delighted with the result.

 

So here it is – the new AHS logo.   

We think it says a lot about what AHS stands for, reflecting our intimate involvement with wood products – whether it be bark or compost for landscaping, or woodchip for renewable energy. 

 

It says we care about sustainable woodland management, which is why AHS has been awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, and will soon have the prestigious ISO 14001 accreditation.  It says we are here to stay, and we are looking to continue to grow.  After all, if we don’t look after the careful sourcing of our products, there won’t be anything left to source.

 

We hope you like it.

mehr Geschwindigkeit weniger Eile***

The UK biomass industry is up and beginning to run.  Time for some reflection perhaps and maybe some lessons from Europe.

 

Twelve months ago the number of biomass projects of a reasonable size was still very limited, so we could hardly have predicted the phenomenal number of enquiries we now are getting from a host of different organisations.  If even half the plans being put forward get developed then this will be an exciting few years for all involved.

 

But before anyone gets carried away, now’s the time to look at what we have learnt in the past few years and how the market is likely to evolve.

 

For a long time we have been calling for consultants to bring fuel suppliers to the discussion table at the earliest possible moment.  The historic failure to consult has resulted in a number of installations experiencing early difficulties.  Fortunately, we can report that our message is slowly being taken on board and we are hearing about projects at a much earlier stage in the process.  Fingers crossed these problems will become a thing of the past.

 

Looking ahead, there is an urgent need to reappraise fuel specifications.  In the majority of the proposals we are being asked for wood chip fuel with a moisture content around 30-35%.  Whilst there are certainly installations – mainly the smaller ones – that require fuel at this level, there are far more that ought to relax the specification of the chip so that the moisture content goes up to 45-50%.  After all, this is what happens in Europe.

In addition there needs to be a strategic reappraisal of the use of biomass for large-scale power generation.  Great for big business and Government PR/spin, but is this the best way forward, the best use of precious biomass resources?  It has been suggested that there will soon be a need for as much 15 million tonnes of biomass wood fuel per year.  How sustainable is this?  What kind of a UK-wide strategy do we have? 

 

The headlong corporate dash for biomass power is in full flight, hastened by government financial incentives.  That’s great isn’t it?  Well they don’t think so in Europe one bit, and let’s be honest, they do know a little more about this than we do.

 

We’re thrilled about the buzz around biomass but it really is time for some rarely-displayed British humility:  we need to be taking lessons from Austria, Germany and Scandinavia.

 

*** German for “More speed, less haste”

 

 

Copenhagen, elections, economic recovery...

Here in East Sussex we have been basking in sub-zero temperatures for over a week now.  Not only is it good news for those who see the cold as the best way of killing off nasty bugs, but it also provides a small fillip to the biomass woodfuel industry.  Global warming indeed!

So what's news and what can we look forward to in the year to come?  Well for one thing there continues to be talk, talk and more talk.  And slowly, slowly we are seeing a gradual increase in the take-up of renewable energy.  2010 is likely to follow a very similar pattern, reined in by the appalling microclimate that is the British economy.  Times are definitely going to be tough, and the worry is that the incentive and finance for investment in renewables just won't be there to really put a dent in the stats.  Time for less talk and more action.

The general disillusion with politics and politicians is often put down to the petty squabbling, posturing and self-interest of our decision-makers.  Copenhagen was a chance for the world to gather and really address a crisis of immense proportions, putting aside short-sighted political expediency.  Cynics would say that all we got was more squabbling, more self-interest and no conclusion.  This is no way to connect with real people making daily decisions that could improve or damage the future well-being of the planet.  Our response is just to switch off - brains, not lights!

Perhaps though there is something positive to be taken from Copenhagen after all.  Over 190 different countries were represented at the talks and we feel that this shows at last a real recognition that collective action needs to be taken, and fast.  Ultimately all the talk will lead to some action.  You just wish it could happen faster.

It's the same here at home.  We have been promised for some time a Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.  It should be good news - heat makes up around 47% of the UK energy burden.  But guess what?  The details of the scheme have been delayed.  What kind of a way is this for business to make plans to improve energy use in buildings?  The result:  no solar, no wind, no biomass.  Nothing. 

In years to come however, historians won't remember these delays.  They will remember the economic slough and they will recall the General Election of 2010.  On the environmental front, all the signs are that there won't be significant changes in policy should the Conservatives be elected.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that traditionally the UK grinds to a halt in the run-up to a General Election.  Let's just hope that this doesn't happen to any great degree.  It's not as if we haven't all got enough to be getting on with.

Happy Christmas and here's to a much improved 2010.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

AHS Energy wishes everyone a very happy Christmas, and raises a glass to 2010. 

Edward Wilkinson is presenting at Smart Energy '09

AHS Energy Head of Marketing, Ed Wilkinson, is to present at the forthcoming Smart Energy show next week at Wembley Stadium.

He will be discussing a variety of case studies, both good and bad, with an audience made up of fellow biomass professionals, representatives from the public and private sector, and industry consultants.

Ed would like it to be known that this will not be the first time he has "played Wembley" - having had an inglorious 20 minutes on the hallowed turf in 1993 in a Wembley staff footballl match - but he hopes his efforts this time are slightly more constructive.

Richard Benyon, MP for Newbury, visits AHS Energy at Padworth

Even if wood as a fuel has been used since time immemorial, the idea of producing more than 50,000 tonnes a year of high quality biomass wood chip on one site alone takes some getting used to.  And we have found that there is enormous benefit to be gained by actually seeing the AHS Energy production site at Padworth in operation.

We are really keen to encourage firms and individuals to see what we are doing, so recently we decided to invite the local MP, Richard Benyon - he is also a shadow DEFRA minister - to come and take a look for himself.

It was quite obvious that Richard was already extremely well-informed about the potential for biomass as a renewable and sustainable source of fuel.  In fact he mentioned that he had looked into installing a boiler himself.  And because he had worked earlier in his career as a land agent, he was able to estimate how many tonnes of wood were being stored in the yard. 

Nick Guest felt that Richard was impressed by the scale and efficiency of the site.  With a single chipper able to produce such large quantities, it does seem peculiar that so much money has been invested over the years on small chippers that are only required to work for a very small proportion of the time.

Richard had a close look at the chipper in action and was bowled over by its immense power and speed.  He then saw the finished product after the screening and grading process.

One of the factors that has inhibited some organisations from pursuing biomass renewable fuel has been the perception that the supply chain is not sufficiently in place yet to give confidence.  Visits like this to Padworth soon put minds at rest.   

Shropshire biomass CHP plant gets the go-ahead

It has taken some time, but the plans for a 2.5MW Combined Heat & Power Plant in Bishop's Castle in Shropshire have finally been given the thumbs-up by planners, after an Official Appeal

The plant, to be run using biomass renewable wood fuel, will generate clean, green energy for around 2,500 homes in the area and save annually 7,000 tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere.  Strong local opposition to the plans had brought long delays.

In a lengthy report the Planning Inspector addressed each of the objections in turn, and in his summing-up he explained, "In my judgement, the benefits of the proposal to carbon mitigation would be more than sufficient to outweigh any resultant harm to the local environment. I am satisfied that the proposed technology is viable and that the environmental, economic and social impact of the proposal could be addressed."

Bishop's Castle Biomass Power Project website 

AHS Energy relaunches its website

AHS Energy has launched a new version of its website.

As part of the AHS Ltd corporate rebranding, the website has been designed to be easier to use and includes more detailed product information, a selection of videos and news, and links to the AHS Energy brochure. 

This development will be followed soon by the relaunch of www.ahs-ltd.co.uk, AHS's dedicated soft landscape and playground materials website, together with a new brochure.

For more information please contact us at info@ahs-ltd.co.uk

Paul Davenport is speaking at EBEC - 9th October 2009

AHS's Commercial Director, Paul Davenport, will be presenting at EBEC (European Bioenergy Expo & Conference) on Friday 9th October at 11.30am.

His presentation is entitled "Woodchip - managing the supply chain".

If you should bump into Paul while you are there, do say hello.

FSC – we got it!

We are all thrilled here at the news that AHS has finally achieved very prestigious  Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

 

It’s the result of lots of hard work, and it shows our commitment to meeting the highest possible social and environmental standards.  Have a look at our website for more details – www.ahsenergy.co.uk/news

 

Now we're also heading for ISO14001 - it takes a while but we are hoping to have achieved this by next Spring.