Talks are continuing over the potential siting of a £20m bioethanol plant in Gwynedd that would process bracken harvested from hill farms.

Newtown-based Oakland Biofuels wants to develop a commercial facility in Blaenau Ffestiniog , creating up to 70 jobs, having patented the technology for converting bracken cellulose into bioethanol.

Following trials in Wales, Shropshire, Cumbria and Yorkshire in 2015, the harvesting process is now seen as viable and the company is keen to step up commercial production.

A pilot plant is being built in Lincolnshire which is due to start production in late October. This has a planned output of 3,000 litres of bioethanol per day from 10 tonnes of bracken shipped across from Wales.

A business plan is being considered by the Welsh Government as Oaklands looks to cement a research relationship with Bangor University .

Brielmaier cutters, seen here being demonstrated in Cumbria, can tackle seemingly impossible slopes
Brielmaier cutters, seen here being demonstrated in Cumbria, can tackle seemingly impossible slopes

On September 5, Oaklands is hosting a display of bracken harvesting machinery in at Ysgubor, Dinas Mawddwy, courtesy of FUW members Dafydd and Mair Evans and their sons.

Farmers, landowners and conservation groups are invited to attend, while fire service chiefs are keeping a watching brief.

“At last month’s Royal Welsh Show I got chatting to organisers of a project in the Rhondda Valley which is aiming to curb the number of wild fires in the area,” said Oaklands boss Jeremy Oakley.

“As most of these are fuelled by bracken, the fire brigades were very interested in our project. They are keen on anything that will reduce the ammunition for wild fires, especially at a time when manpower is stretched.”

A Brielmaier machine at last year's demonstration in Dinas Mawddwy
A Brielmaier machine at last year's demonstration in Dinas Mawddwy

The Oaklands project is being projected as an exercise in rural sustainability. Young farmers could get involved as harvesting contractors to remove vegetation that encroaches on grazing land and is costly to control, said Mr Oakley.

Bracken, which is widespread in Wales and is toxic to livestock, is notoriously difficult to manage, particularly on steep slopes.

At a trial day in Dinas Mawddwy last year, Brielmaier machines, which resemble an Allen scythe, were shown cutting two-metre stands of bracken with 90% success.

The video above, partly filmed in Wales, gives an idea of their incredible versatility: one shot of the cutter on a steep hill face almost defies belief.

They will be back for this year’s event, along with a Schiltrac vehicle, a specialist hillside pick-up machine from Switzerland, and a high density stationery baler from Norway.

The Schiltrac is a specialist hillside pick-up machine from Switzerland which will be shown in action at next month's open day in Dinas Mawddwy
The Schiltrac is a specialist hillside pick-up machine from Switzerland which will be shown in action at next month's open day in Dinas Mawddwy

FUW Meirionnydd executive officer Huw Jones said: “The equipment which will be on display is already in use on steep slopes in areas such as the German and Swiss Alps.

"Although they are not designed specifically to cut bracken, they have been shown to be effective on slopes of up to 60 degrees.

“Following the successful trial in 2015, the machines went back to the Continent to be modified and are now ready to return to the UK for a new series of demonstrations.

"Some of the equipment can even be controlled remotely in order to minimise risks to farmers and contractors.”

Oakland Biofuels says it has proved that bracken cutting is commercially feasible
Oakland Biofuels says it has proved that bracken cutting is commercially feasible

A key target of this year’s open day is to create baled and wrapped bracken that can be tested for bioethanol potential after 12 months in storage. The idea is to see what degree of deterioration, if any, occurs.

Private investors are already backing the project, with a further £2m earmarked for harvesting and logistics equipment.

Longer term, Oaklands hopes to move into the bio-pharmaceutical, bio-composite and biobutanol industries.

  • The demonstration is taking place from 10am-4pm on Monday, September 5, at Ysgubor, Dinas Mawddwy, SY20 9LX, near Machynlleth. For those not in four-wheel-drive vehicles, other transport will be available from the roadside.
Brielmaier machines were exhibited at last year's Merioneth Show
Brielmaier machines were exhibited at last year's Merioneth Show