GMG Energy, which operates from Upper Bighouse in the far north of Scotland, has reached a significant milestone in its commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2035, with a new sawdust drying and biomass briquette production system now entering its beta-testing stages before becoming operational.

The £100k investment forms part of its wider decarbonisation strategy developed following a detailed carbon audit which identified practical and achievable opportunities to reduce emissions across the business.

The result is a clear roadmap to Net Zero, with the new sawdust dryer representing one of the most important projects delivered to date.

GMG Energy has built its reputation on optimising the value of locally sourced timber while supporting rural communities with renewable energy and timber products. The latest investment strengthens that circular approach by transforming a by-product of the sawmilling process into a valuable, low-carbon fuel source.

The new system is designed to reduce the moisture content of sawdust from 35 per cent to 10 per cent. Once dried, the material can be processed into renewable biomass briquettes suitable for domestic wood-burning stoves and heating systems.

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By drying and processing sawdust and woodchip on-site, the company expects to significantly reduce transport requirements, cut associated emissions and maximise the value of a resource that would otherwise leave the business as a low-value by-product.

Malcolm Morrison, Director of GMG Energy, said: "Following our carbon audit, we developed a realistic and achievable plan to reach Net Zero by 2035. A key part of that strategy was looking closely at how we could reduce emissions while making better use of the materials already produced through our sawmill operations.

"This project does exactly that. Instead of transporting wet sawdust long distances, we're able to process it on-site, significantly reducing transport emissions and turning a by-product into a valuable renewable fuel."

The system consists of a fully automated drying process where sawdust is fed into a rotating drying drum. Material continually passes through the system until the required moisture content is achieved before moving on to briquette production equipment.

The process makes use of renewable heat already generated through the company's existing biomass infrastructure, further improving overall operational efficiency and also supports GMG Energy's ambition to create a near zero-waste operation by ensuring more of the timber processed on site is fully utilised.

Mr Morrison added: "We're producing a couple of tonnes of sawdust every week, so finding a better use for that material was an obvious opportunity. The new system dries the sawdust to the ideal level before converting it into briquettes that can be used in wood-burning stoves by customers across the region.

"It's a great example of circular economy thinking in action. We're reducing waste, creating a new income stream for the business and producing a renewable fuel that can stay within local communities rather than being transported hundreds of miles."

With commissioning now underway, the sawdust drying and briquette production system is expected to become fully operational in the coming weeks, bringing GMG Energy another step closer to delivering its 2035 Net Zero ambition.