Wood Shavings Pellet Plant in Ireland

RICHI MACHINERY

The First Call – “Shavings Are Everywhere in County Cork”

The client had been running a small agricultural supply business for fifteen years. He noticed that furniture factories in Cork were producing tons of wood shavings – used for animal bedding, but often in oversupply. Some factories were paying to have shavings hauled away.

He had a building (1,060m²) on a multi-floor facility – he rented the ground floor. He had grid electricity, municipal water, and sewer connection. He had saved about $160,000.

His question: “Can I set up a 2t/h wood shavings pellet plant in Ireland that runs on shavings only?”

We asked about the raw material. He sent samples. The shavings were clean, dry (8-12% moisture), and uniform. No paint, no glue, no chemicals. He could get the material for $20-25/ton delivered.

We told him yes. A 2t/h wood shavings pellet plant in Ireland could work with his feedstock. The simple design (no crusher, no dryer) would keep capital costs low.

RICHI MACHINERY

Raw Materials – Single Feedstock, Consistent Quality

The client set up collection agreements with four furniture factories and two sawmills within a 50km radius.

The client pays $22/ton delivered. The shavings are打包 (bagged) in 25kg bags or delivered loose by truck. The material is clean – Irish furniture factories use kiln-dried lumber.

Total input 5,001 tons, output 5,000 tons. The 1-ton difference accounts for dust collected (about 0.5 tons) and moisture loss (about 0.5 tons). The client also generates about 0.3 tons of waste packaging annually.

RICHI MACHINERY

Why No Crusher or Dryer?

Most pellet lines need crushers for large offcuts and dryers for wet sawdust. This one has neither.

Why no crusher? Shavings are already small – typically 5-20mm long and 2-5mm wide. They feed directly into the wood pellet hammer mill.

Why no dryer? The shavings come from kiln-dried lumber (8-12% moisture). This is already below the ideal pelleting range of 10-15%. No drying needed.

This 2t/h wood shavings pellet plant in Ireland has no wood crusher and no wood dryer. The client saved $25,000 upfront and avoids ongoing energy costs.

RICHI MACHINERY

Equipment List – Simple and Reliable

Equipment price (EXW Qingdao port): $95,000 USD

The client bought the wheel loader locally in Ireland.

Shipping: Two 40-foot containers. Departed Qingdao September 15, 2023. Arrived Port of Cork, Ireland on October 28, 2023. Sea freight: $4,200 USD. Inland trucking added $300 USD.

RICHI MACHINERY

Facility Layout – 1,060m² Ground Floor

The client’s building was a 4-story facility – he rented the ground floor (1,060m²).

RICHI MACHINERY

Process Flow – Four Simple Steps

Here’s how the 2t/h wood shavings pellet plant in Ireland actually runs.

Step 1 – Material handling
Bagged shavings are moved from storage to the belt conveyor using a hand truck or small loader. Bags are opened manually and emptied onto the conveyor.

Step 2 – Grinding
Shavings are fed into the SFSP68*75 hammer mill. The mill reduces the shavings to 3-5mm particles – ideal for pelleting. The mill is enclosed and connected to the dust collection system.

Step 3 – Pelleting
Ground material is conveyed to the enclosed pellet mill bin. Two 420-type wood pellet presses run simultaneously. Each mill produces 1.0-1.05 t/h. Total output: 2.0-2.1 t/h. Die size: 6mm and 8mm – the client switches depending on customer requirements.

The pelleting process uses friction heat (80-100°C) to soften the lignin, which acts as a natural binder. No added binders or additives.

Step 4 – Bagging
Pellets are bagged manually into 15kg paper bags. The client sells about 60% to residential customers and 40% to industrial users.

RICHI MACHINERY

Operating Costs – After Six Months

The plant has been operating since February 2024. Here are the numbers from July 2024.

Revenue:

Monthly net profit: $154,980 USD. Annual net profit: $1.86 million USD.

The client’s total investment was $145,000 (equipment $95,000 + shipping $4,500 + local installation $12,000 + working capital $33,500). Payback period: 1 month.

RICHI MACHINERY

The Irish Market for Wood Pellets

Ireland’s pellet market has grown significantly in recent years. The country has:

• Over 30,000 pellet heating systems installed
• Government subsidies through the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH)
• Growing demand from both residential and commercial users
• A carbon tax that makes biomass heating cost-competitive

The client’s current customers:

• A pellet distributor in Cork (200 tons/month)
• Hardware stores in County Cork (100 tons/month)
• Direct sales to households (117 tons/month)

The client plans to add a third pellet mill in 2025 to reach 3 t/h. He also plans to export to Northern Ireland, where pellet prices are 5-10% higher.

RICHI MACHINERY

What the Client Learned

We spoke with the client in July 2024, five months after startup. Here are his observations.

What worked well:

• No crusher, no dryer. “Simple line, less things to break.”
• The two-mill configuration. “If one mill needs maintenance, I run one mill at 1 t/h. No lost production.”
• The cyclone + baghouse system. “Irish EPA approved the system on the first visit.”

What he would change:

• “I should have bought an automatic bagging machine.” Manual bagging is slow. He’s ordering a small bagging scale ($5,000).
• “I need a moisture meter for incoming material.” He runs without measuring moisture. Sometimes shavings arrive at 12-14% moisture (still acceptable). He’s ordering a meter ($200).
• “The screw feeder inlet needs better dust control.” He’s adding a small local exhaust hood ($500).

RICHI MACHINERY

What We Provided

For this 2t/h wood shavings pellet plant in Ireland, we delivered:

• Process design – Simple layout with two-stage dust collection.
• Equipment package – Conveyors, hammer mill, bin, two pellet mills, screw feeder, cyclone, baghouse, stack.
• Installation supervision – Our engineer spent 10 days in County Cork.
• Operator training – Two days on die changes, gap adjustments, and Irish compliance requirements.
• Spare parts kit – One spare die per mill (two total), bearings, belts, and filter bags.

RICHI MACHINERY

Thinking About a Shavings Pellet Plant in Ireland?

If you’re looking at a 2t/h wood shavings pellet plant in Ireland – or anywhere in Western Europe – here’s what we’ve learned from this biomass pellet project:

• Shavings are an ideal feedstock. They’re already small, dry, and clean. No crusher, no dryer.
• Simple is better. Two pellet mills, one hammer mill, basic dust collection. Less capital, less maintenance.
• Ireland has a growing pellet market. Government subsidies and carbon taxes make pellets competitive.
• ENplus certification is valuable. Irish customers pay €400-450/ton ($430-485) for certified pellets vs €300-350 ($325-380) for uncertified. Certification costs $5,000-8,000 but pays for itself in months.

The client in County Cork is already profitable. He’s expanding. If you have access to刨花 (wood shavings) and a market for premium pellets, this model works.

Contact us for a site assessment or equipment quote. We can provide references from this project upon request.