Fuel Chip Supply System with Low Price Mobile Chippers

High price of chippers and small scale of forestry management area seemed to create a standstill situation of chip utilization system in Japan. By combining the benefits of small scale forestry and low price chippers, a simple and low-cost chip supply model could be established, creating new employments opportunities. The object of this study is to propose the benefits of a chip supply system in small scale forestry using multiple low price chippers at forest landings. The volume of chip material was ranged up to 56 000 m in a model area. The results showed that the annual labor cost of the proposed system was higher than that of the conventional system because the utilization ratio of chipper of the proposed system was also higher. The chip supply cost of the proposed system became lower than that of the conventional system because of its proper productivity and machine price. The utilization ratio of machine used in this study will be an important indice for creating employments when establishing chip supply chain. The benefits of the proposed system using multiple chippers are not only creating employments in local community but also bringing flexibility to a stable chip supply system and avoiding the risk of machine workouts and troubles. Therefore, the proposed system that introduces multiple lines using low price chippers will be useful for cost efficient management of small scale forestry and for providing sustainable bioenergy business.