PELLETime will develop an accessible package of tools to design sustainable pellet supply chains, thereby promoting the role of local entrepreneurs in utilising local renewable energy resources and supporting the energy self-sufficiency of northern peripheral regions. The small scale production of pellets currently faces both technological limitations, as well as lack of knowledge. The project addresses those challenges by offering a holistic approach for SMEs reaching from identification and estimation of available resources, raw material procurement, the design of the entire pellet production process to the final product. PELLETime will encourage sustainable expansion of the raw material resource, and carry out widespread awareness raising and information dissemination to facilitate market development. Achievements: The project has been effective in its main processes, i.e. market analyses, growth trials of alternative raw materials, drying and storage trials of raw materials, pelletizing trials, combustion and emission analyses, and end-user advisory and dissemination. So far a new forest energy enterprise, Skogarorka ehf. has been established in Hallormsstadur, East Iceland. It was initiated during the NPP project Northern WoodHeat. The enterprise has launched new 500 kW heating scheme based on local woodfuels and subsitituting electricity and fuel oil. PELLETime growth trials in Shetland and Orkney include willow crop trials and growth trials of reed canary grass, a forage grass mix and barley (as a source of straw). Trials have resulted to new knowledge on the aspects of establishment, crop yeilds, biodiversity, hydrology and landscape impacts. The project has produced detailed fuel characteristics for several new pellet qualities produced of alternative raw materials, and contributed much on scientific knowledge. Currently 12 alternative raw material sets are tested or in processes of pelletizing trials and combustion /emission analyses. Associate partners have contributed to the technical development work, for instance, by designing a new type of harvesting machinery that has been further applied in PELLETime trials. North Karelia University of Applied Sciences (NKUAS) has established small-scale pelletizing unit to the Centre for Natural Resources, Joensuu. Pelletizing service of alternative raw materials will be available in late 2010. So far open project events have had approximately 220 participants, number of advised end-users of pellets and entrepreneurs in pellet sector is approximately 35, and 11 companies have are cooperating with PELLETime. Information on project development is available via project websites and study reports available at the project's publications.Products and services:Title: PELLETime Toolbox A web service providing information on the pellet sector, offering applications (pellet factory simulator and supply-chain simulators) for educational uses and promoting and disseminating PELLETime services.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/, http://www.pelletime.fiTitle: PELLETime Training Intensive 2-4 day courses for professionals with tailored content on supply-chain design, pellet production, use of solid biomasses (especially pellets) in energy production and energy business planning. Courses consist of lectures, excursions and online tasks.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Designing of Fuel Supply Chains A cost calculation tool for estimating the costs of fuel supply to the end user facility (power plant or a pellet factory) for various raw materials to minimise the uncertainty of forest based raw material costs. The result of the calculations allows to optimize practices along the supply chain and to find the most economical solution concerning investment costs, fixed costs, operating costs and other relevant cost factors. More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Business Design of Pellet Production Advisory service designed for entrepreneurs (e.g. in wood processing or farming) who are interested in pellet production and need to know the economic potential of pelletizing available resources. Pre-analyses can be used for finding optimal scale, market niche and business model of pellet production.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Measurements and analysis of combustion behaviour and emissions from pellets made of different raw materials. A service providing measuremenst and analysis of combustion behaviour and emissions from pellets made of different raw materials. The service offers pellet manufacturers a possibility to specify the gas and particle emissions which are formed during pellet combustion and enables appliance manufactures to advice consumers for right pellet materials to meet the limit values and to secure the best usability of the appliance.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Heat mapping and supply chain design A GIS based heat mapping system for the Scottish Highlands, which gives an indication of the economics and emissions differentials from biomass and fossil fuels. The system also makes rudimentary calculations of the available biomass resource and allows the supply/demand parameters of any area to be calculated.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Small-scale harvesting machine for willow Small-scale harvesting machine which fills the gap between motor manual and combine harvester, allowing small plots to be harvested without importing large machinery and, thus, providing an economic solution. The machine is used for demonstrations, to encourage local farmers to grow willow, and is available for hire from the owner.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,