The ebeaver – a fuel-efficient bioenergy harvester
“How much diesel is it acceptable to use to produce green energy? Harvesting thinnings with a big machine is like eating with a pair of cudgels. We offer an alternative that harvests bioenergy in an energy-efficient way and has minimal environmental impact.”
The speaker is Johan Dagman, one of the men behind the ebeaver, the radio-controlled mini-harvester that drew big crowds at the Elmia Wood international forestry fair in 2009. Since then the ebeaver has advanced from the prototype stage to mass production. At Elmia World Bioenergy the machine was displayed for the first time in its new guise.
“Most things have been improved – the transmission, hydraulics, one-piece moulded drive enclosures and more. The result is more power and better performance,” concludes Bengt Rimnäs, one of the machine’s developers.
The ebeaver’s basic concept is to combine low energy consumption with low-impact harvesting in the stands.
“Half a litre of diesel to produce one tonne of biomass – that’s about 25 percent of what a conventional system would use,” Dagman says. “And there’s also minimal impact on the stand. As soon as the biomass is out onto a strip road bigger machines can take over. It’s the right machine in the right place.”
Efficient logistics
The basic version of the ebeaver is equipped with a cutter head.
“You can fell, bunch and drive out the energy crop and then skid out the larger trees,” Rimnäs explains.
He adds that the ebeaver is especially well suited to stands that are in between cleaning and thinning:
“In sensitive areas and in-between zones it also does an efficient job because it’s so small and nimble. Its size is also an advantage when you have to move it between a lot of small stands – you just load the entire machine onto a trailer and drive it to the next stand.”
International interest
The radio control gives the operator a good work environment.
“It’s ergonomic and you have good visibility. You also avoid any vibrations from the machine.”
Rimnäs says that the radio unit has also been developed compared with the prototype. Innovations include three programming settings that can be customised for different operators.
After only a few hours at the World Bioenergy fair, both men have already noticed that the ebeaver could well become a magnet for visitors at this fair too:
“There’s been a lot of international interest and we’ve already had enquiries from the United States and Namibia,” Dagman says.
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