Biomass supplier and timber products specialist GMG Energy has installed, at a cost in excess of GBP 100,000 ($125,000), a new, high-tech preservation chamber which will supply locally manufactured wood to enterprises which require treated and stress-tested products.
The Sutherland-based, Scotland, business commissioned the 5,500 gallon vessel, which handles more than 440 cubic feet of timber in each three-and-a-half hour treatment session, enhancing the company’s current annual output of 70,630 cubic feet of timber product and widening its range of products to further invest in the circular economy.
The new treatment vessel is fully automated having a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based control system which controls the pumps and pneumatically actuated valves. A Wi Fi enabled desk top computer interface enables to operator to start, stop and monitor the process. It also enables remote access for system upgrades. GMG Energy owns the intellectual property for the entire system.
Malcolm Morrison, Director of GMG Energy, said: “Until now, local concerns which needed this type of timber product have had to order from suppliers who, in some cases, were hundreds of miles away.
“The vessel is enclosed within an existing building to enhance safe operation and a bund ensures that any accidental spillage will be contained. The vessel is loaded with wood and the door closed. It is first subjected to a vacuum which opens up the pores of the wood. The vessel is then filled with an aqueous solution of preserving agent and pressurised. This suffuses the wood with the agent which will prevent deterioration for many years.
