Case study
Ireland → Iceland woodchip (residuals)
Challenge
Build a dependable, compliant, and lower-carbon residual woodchip pathway from Irish sawmills to Iceland—covering real volumes, port selection, vessel class, and end-to-end emissions.
What we did
- Origination at depth: mapped live residual suppliers and specs.
- Compliance by design: focused on de-barked mill residuals to meet bark thresholds; aligned on FSC/PEFC chain-of-custody.
- Port & vessel optimization: compared proximity ports vs. deep-water options (e.g., Galway vs. Greenore/Foynes) to unlock Handy-class calls and meaningful storage.
- Carbon pathway modeling: quantified yard → port → sea → quay, showing how shipment size materially improves tCO₂e per tonne.
Key results
- Consolidation at deep-water ports enables fewer voyages, better $/t, and a stronger carbon profile.
- Handy-class ~30k-t lift drives a step-change vs. frequent small coasters.
- Documented storage/handling playbooks and supplier shortlists de-risk contracting.
At a glance
58
suppliers mapped
30k-t
Handy-class shipment
~0.024
tCO₂e per tonne
Outcome
A bankable plan to stage residuals into deep-water ports for Handy-class sailings to Iceland, with clear guardrails on moisture, bark, storage, and scheduling. Ready-to-contract supplier shortlists and a repeatable cost/LCA calculator support procurement decisions.