Speaker
Description
One of the key objectives of Estonia’s current National Energy and Climate Plan 2030 is to reduce national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% compared with the 1990 level. In line with the European Green Deal, the Estonian government has also committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Meeting these ambitious targets requires a substantial increase in the use of renewable energy sources, including forest-based biomass fuels.
This study analyses the procurement of energy wood using crawler excavators equipped with guillotine-type cutting heads. The machines investigated were the two Sany SY135 and Volvo ECR145DL. Data were collected over 4,300 productive machine hours and a total harvested volume exceeding 60,000 m³ (solid volume) during 2025. Fuel consumption was evaluated in litres per productive machine hour (l h⁻¹) and ranged from 5.8 l h⁻¹ for the Sany SY135 to 14.0 l h⁻¹ for the Volvo ECR145DL. The observed differences in fuel consumption were largely attributable to variations in machine mass, with operating weights of 14 t and 16 t, respectively.
Average productivity reached 10.2 m³ h⁻¹ for the Volvo ECR145DL and 14.0 m³ h⁻¹ for the Sany SY135, with operator experience also influencing performance. The operations were mainly conducted in the clearance of overgrown land, involving tree species such as grey alder (Alnus incana), silver birch (Betula pendula), aspen (Populus tremula), black alder (Alnus glutinosa), Norway spruce (Picea abies), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).
| Keywords | energy wood, fuel consumption |
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