Chips with lower costs:

Stationary VS Mobile Chippers

The most cost efficient way to produce energy chips is a stationary chipper, which is operated in cold supply chain, inside a power plant. Chips produced in hot supply chain costs more because of higher costs of logistics. Nevertheless, most common chippers for biomass are mobile, of which some have been converted for stationary operation.

The following three factors are the main reasons why stationary chippers are more cost efficient than mobile chippers:

1. Motor efficiency: diesel (mobile) VS electric (stationary)

2. Maintenance: mobility (mobile) VS robustness (stationary)

3. Lifetime: mobility (mobile) VS rebuildability (stationary)

As a result, after amortizations, the stationary chipping costs are 0,5 € / MWh compared to the 2,2 € / MWh costs of mobile chipping with manual handling. Saalasti published an article relating to the cost differences between stationary and mobile chipping. The article can be downloaded from the link below.

>> Download the article STATIONARY BIOMASS PROCESSORS - CHIPS WITH LOWER COSTS (PDF)

Main argument:

10 MWe and bigger power plants would make more money if they would produce chips with stationary chippers.

- Juha Kettunen, Sales Director, Saalasti Oy