Estimates and examples of forestry supply chain costs
There are significant variations in costs between different forestry operations and methodologies.
The outputs and costs below are based on a number of case studies carried out by the Forestry Commission’s Technical Development (formerly the work study unit) over the recent years. They give indicative benchmark values for a certain number of operations in given conditions, but should not be used directly to plan operations, budgets, or negotiate contracts, as there will be great variations in relation to product size, site and crop conditions, number of operators, etc.
The outputs presented below summarise a range of outputs measured in a number of case studies. These outputs are presented per ‘standard hour’; this measurement includes ‘productive worked hours’ as well as ‘non productive worked hours’ (e.g. maintenance, travel to and from site) and rest and personal time of the operator. The costs have been calculated using ‘standard’ costs presented below.
The values in relation to weight at target moisture content have been calculated assuming that: the moisture content of fresh hardwood is 45% wet basis(MCwb) and fresh softwood is 55% MCwb; the target moisture content for fuel is 30% MCwb and the densities of hardwood and softwood are 479 kg/m3 and 410 kg/m3 respectively.
Equipment standard hourly cost, including operator cost (November 2011)
| Type of equipment | Typical hourly cost (£/hr) |
|---|
ATC + trailer | 35 |
Chainsaw | 20 |
Farm tractor forwarder large | 55 |
Farm tractor forwarder small | 50 |
Farm tractor skidder | 45 |
Large chipper | 55 |
Medium chipper | 35 |
Mini forwarder | 40 |
Pedestrian forwarder | 25 |
Portable winch | 35 |
Purpose built forwarder | 55 |
Purpose built harvester | 65 |
Purpose built harwarder | 60 |
Self powered winch | 18 |
Small chipper | 25 |
Small terrain chipper | 25 |
Tractor + cradle | 35 |
Tractor based harvester | 55 |
Wire loader | 25 |
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Felling operations with indicative outputs and costs (1)
| Equipment type | Operation type | Harvesting system | Outputs range m3/shr | Cost range £/m3 felled | Equivalent cost range £/t at 30% MCwb | Number of case studies |
| Chainsaw | Coppicing | All systems | 0.7-1.35 | 14.8-29.9 | 21.6-43.7 | 4 |
| Broadleaves thinning | Shortwood | 0.7-1.5 | 13.3-29.0 | 19.4-42.4 | 6 |
| Broadleaves thinning | Pole length | 1.3-2.5 | 8-15.6 | 11.7-22.8 | 4 |
| Pre-commercial thinning | Whole tree | 0.5-0.6 | 31.7-42.6 | 46.3-62.3 | 1 |
| Tractor based harvested | Coppicing | Shortwood | 1.67-2.0 | 27.5-32.9 | 40.2-48.1 | 1 |
| Purpose built harvester | Coppicing | Shortwood | 6.77 | 8.9 | 15.2 | 1 |
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Felling operations indicative outputs and costs (2)
The following costs and outputs are for a 100-125m extraction distance except portable winch (which is around 20m distance).
The costs for whole tree and pole length systems include conversion.
| Equipment type | Operation type | Harvesting system | Outputs range m3 /shr | Cost range £/m3 felled | Equivalent cost range £/t at 30% MCwb | Number of case studies |
|---|
| ATC + trailer | Thinnings | Shortwood /pole length | 0.60-3.50 | 11.9-55.8 | 17.3-81.5 | 3 |
| Farm tractor forwarder (large) | Coppicing, thinnings | Shortwood | 2.44-4.18 | 13.2- 22.5 | 19.2-32.9 | 4 |
| Farm tractor forwarder (small) | Coppicing, thinnings and residues | Shortwood | 1.22-5.85 | 8.5-41.0 | 12.5-59.9 | 9 |
| Farm tractor skidder | Coppicing, thinnings and residues | Pole length/whole tree | 1.60-3.02 | 17.5-30.7 | 25.6-44.9 | 6 |
| Mini-forwarder | Coppicing, thinnings | Shortwood | 0.64-4.17 | 9.6-62.5 | 14.0-91.3 | 6 |
| Pedestrian forwarder | Thinnings | Shortwood | 1.35-1.70 | 14.7-18.5 | 21.5-27.1 | 1 |
| Portable winch | Coppicing | Shortwood/pole length | 0.40-3.50 | 10.0-87.5 | 14.6-127.9 | 3 |
| Purpose built forwarder | Coppicing | Shortwood | 2.47-7.04 | 7.8-22.3 | 11.4-32.5 | 4 |
| Tractor + cradle | Thinnings | Shortwood | 1.19 | 29.4 | 43.0 | 1 |
| Wire loader | Thinnings | Shortwood | 0.6-5.05 | 5.0-39.1 | 7.2-57.1 | 5 |
| Cableway systems | No recent case studies have been carried out on cableway systems . Costs are extremely variable depending on extraction distance, product size and density, and equipment used. |
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Integrated harvesting indicative outputs and costs
| Equipment type | Operation type | Harvesting system | Outputs range m3/shr | Cost range £/m3 felled | Equivalent cost range £/t at 30% MCwb | Number of case studies |
|---|
| Harwarder | Scrub clearance | Whole tree | 0.82 | 67.1 | 98.1 | 1 |
| Terrain chipper (small) | Coppicing | - | 1.92-2.24 | 11.2-13.0 | 16.4-19.0 | 2 |
| Crownwood | - | 0.88 | 28.4 | 41.5 | 1 |
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Roadside chipping indicative outputs and costs
A factor of 2.7 for the volume of woodchips : roundwood has been used based on previous case studies. It has been assumed that roundwood is chipped at target moisture content 30% wet basis.
| Equipment type | Outputs range m3 solid timber/shr | Equivalent output range m3 woodchips/shr | Equivalent cost range £/m3 woodchips | Equivalent cost range £/t woodchips at 30% MCwb | Number of case studies |
|---|
Small chipper
(15 to 25cm intake) | 2.37-5.69 | 6.40-15.36 | 1.63-3.91 | 6.42-15.42 | 25 |
Medium chipper
(25 to 40cm intake) | 2.41-8.53 | 6.51-23.03 | 1.52-5.38 | 7.01-21.22 | 15 |
Large chipper
(intake larger than 40cm) | 12.39-21.10 | 33.45-56.97 | 0.97-1.64 | 4.45-7.58 | 4 |
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