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High cost of winter heating fuel

Started by Larry, September 08, 2004, 03:57:28 PM

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SwampDonkey

Makes me ugly to Corley, your not alone. Here in NB small businesses, mostly woodlot owners, are on their own trying to start up pellet mills, no hand outs. That's well and good, but stop spoon feeding pulp mills with bailouts, concessions and subsidies.  >:(

I'd rather hire 30 new nurses in under staffed hospitals. The odds of me getting a job at any of those mill companies is slim anyway since they never post job openings. So let them sink, I'm not loosing a thing.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Gary_C

Just wait till Al Gore is named Energy Secretary. You are going to have buy carbon credits to run your wood burner.  ;D
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

SwampDonkey

Well, then I'll just have to start harnessing squirrels and moose, got lots of both.  ;D For me, it's not about replacing oil, it's about having alternatives and other opportunities like utilizing low grade wood which we have all kinds of. Those pulp mills have to use it off crown land, but when it comes to buying it from private citizens it's another matter. So, what do you do with it? If it has to be culled you'd like to get something for your efforts.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Warbird

Pellet availability has been a large concern here in Alaska, too.  Ease of use sure can be nice with pellets but I am glad we went with a wood stove.

Corley5

I've been told that producing pellets directly from green pulp/chips isn't cost effective as it takes too much energy to dry the material.  Pellet mills are better suited to use sawdust/ planer shavings etc that are drier.  That what our extension agent told me  :)
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

SwampDonkey

I don't doubt your extension agent and I know chips would be courser / thicker material, that's a given. But, both materials are green. I think it is easier/quicker to dry planer shavings and fine saw dust and that is what he is getting at. But, when you have an abundance of low grade, use it to dry the chips or mimic planer shavings with the proper piece of equipment. SO when you feed the wood, you get planer shavings on the other end. Maybe that will reduce drying costs, don't know. Anyway, whats the difference, smoke from the fuel for the dryer or smoke at your house from the pellets. The difference is probably a cleaner burn from the pellet, but still makes smoke and ashes. Maybe even somebody would be smart enough to use the bi-products like steam to heat a school or something. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Corley5

His point was that pellet mills are more efficient in combination with sawmills or planer mills rather than as stand alone operations that produce pellets directly from logs and chips especially if they can be set up to use excess heat from kilns or co-gen plants  :)
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

SwampDonkey

Yes I agree with that. But....but...the materials from our mills here at least are all spoken for. Hog fuel at the mills from the bark and waste material for heating and electricity and pulp for the clean stuff. And one mill supplies it's hog to the heating plant that serves the University and Hospital. And the material out there I'm talking about, they don't want in the mill yard, Millions of M3 worth.  I feel like I'm playing dodge ball.  Like what about this 15 inch fir, hollow, ant infested, scar up the side as an example.......hardwood with limbs beginning at 4 feet. .pasture/cow shade spruce with limbs to the ground...weeviled white pine growing like cabbages .....all kinds of that sh...stuff.  ;) :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Corley5

Lots of that stuff around here too.  The problem is how to process it into pellets in a cost effective manner.  What % of it can you burn to dry what % for pellets and it still be worthwhile  ??? It maybe that cellulosic ethanol is the answer  :) :)
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

SwampDonkey

Well I don't have the numbers, but it can't be all that bad I'm thinking. $275-350 a pallet of pellets equals  $200-350 a cord depending on your local firewood prices, equates to $775 for a tank (900 litres) of fuel oil at today's prices. Seems efficient enough to me.  ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Handy Andy

  Cardie filled mine about a month ago, price for cash was 1.99  paid more than that last winter. 
My name's Jim, I like wood.

bull


Bill Johnson

Superior Propane wanted 1.134/litre as a locked in price this winter, plus delivery charges and hazardous material handling charges. 

Then I found out their spot-price in Sept. was .749/litre + delivery etc. so I told them to forget the locked in price and give it to me at spot price.  I figured I saved $300.00 by going to spot pricing but will have to wait to the spring fill up to see if was really a good deal.

Bill

Kansas

The propane guy just left........1.51 a gallon if paid within 15 days.

farmerdoug

Had the farm diesel fuel tank filled yesterday at 2.30/gallon.  That is the same as heating oil here.
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

mike_van

Oil at 47.00/bbl - opec met & couldn't decide what to do?  :o   What in the wide wide world of sports is going on here?   If the terrorist atack in Mumbai had happened last June, oil would have gone up 10.00/bbl that day due to ?????
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

pigman

Wife filled up today at $1.39 gal.  If the price keeps going down, pretty soon the stations will be paying us to take the gas off their hands. ;)  Just this summer when we had to do a lot of driving it was over $4.00
I still think is those speculators that is causing the price to go down. They are betting the price will go down causing the decrease. :D
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

ScottAR

I think they may have figured out that they (opec) needs us as much as we need them.

All the oil in the world is worthless if no one can or will buy it. 

Woulda liked to been a fly on the wall of that meeting.   ;)
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

Warbird

Quote from: ScottAR on December 04, 2008, 12:31:40 AM
Woulda liked to been a fly on the wall of that meeting.   ;)

You speak Arabic?

beenthere

I think they would be saying that they need to be smart, and divert attention away from the "Drill Now" movement, so they drop the price (dump more oil on the market to lower it) as they have done in the past.
When that works (which it already has), the price will go back up.

What else would make sense? The opec cartel has control, and can manipulate the world with oil supply.

I say....Drill now, Drill here, become more independent.   However, we still would be in the world market and would not sell our oil to ourselves for "cheap", IMO.  Just would not be at the whim of the oil cartel.

(note...this message hung up...but I looked at FF through another window and it posted immediately)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

dolittle

Propane co. topped off my tank last week with 196 gal. at $1.733 down from $2.508 two months ago.

ScottAR

Foiled again!!   :D :D

Guess I'd need a translator fly too...   ::)
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

mike_van

Price keeps dropping - I Expect to see opec & BIG oil in Washington for some bail-out $$$$$$$$ -  :D :D :D
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

SwampDonkey

When haven't they been getting it already?
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SwampDonkey

Well the Saudi's found you a couple other 50 year sites for mega oil refineries. One is coming on line in the new year. One is in the middle of sand dunes, where sea water has to be piped in to pump into the ground to get pressure. It's still cheaper to produce than on this continent. Their oil storage tanks are bigger than foot ball fields and the roof floats as the oil fills the tanks. :D They are even trying to curb alternative fuels by investing in more efficient motors.

I'm being fed this off 60 minutes, so take it as it is.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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