Wood pellet production costs under Austrian and in comparison to Swedish framework conditions

Owing to the rapidly increasing importance of pellets as high-quality biomass fuel in Austria and Europe within the last years, many companies, mainly from the wood industry, are thinking of entering this market. The calculation of the production costs before starting a pellet plant is essential for an economic operation. Based on comprehensive investigations within the EU-ALTENER project “An Integrated European Market for Densified Biomass Fuels” calculations of the pellet production costs loco factory for different framework conditions with basic data based on already realised plants as well as a questionnaire survey of pellet producers in Austria, South Tyrol and Sweden have been performed.

The production costs for wood pellets are mainly influenced by the raw material costs and, in the case of using wet raw materials, by the drying costs. Depending on the framework conditions these two parameters can contribute up to one-third of the total pellet production costs. Other important parameters influencing the pellet production costs are the plant utilisation (number of shifts per week) as well as the availability of the plant. For an economic production of wood pellets at least three shifts per day at 5 days per week are necessary. An optimum would be an operation at 7 days per week. A low plant availability also leads to greatly increased pellet production costs. A plant availability of 85–90% should therefore be achieved.

The calculations show that a wood pellet production is possible both in small-scale (production rates of some hundred tonnes per year) as well as in large-scale plants (some ten thousand tonnes per year). However, especially for small-scale units it is very important to take care of the specific framework conditions of the producer, because the risk of a non-economic pellet production is considerably higher than for large-scale systems.

The direct comparison of typical pellet production costs in Austria and Sweden showed the Swedish pellet production costs to be considerably lower due to larger plant capacities, the combination of pellet production and biomass CHP or biomass district heating plants and the implementation of technologies which allow an efficient heat recovery from the dryers. Moreover, another difference between the Austrian and the Swedish framework conditions is the price of electricity, which is much lower in Sweden.     

Factors affecting strength and durability of densified biomass products

Effectiveness of a densification process to create strong and durable bonding in densified products such as pellets, briquettes, and cubes can be determined by testing the strength (i.e., compressive resistance, impact resistance, and water resistance), and durability (i.e., abrasion resistance) of the densified products. These tests can indicate the maximum force/stress that the densified products can withstand, and the amount of fines produced during handling, transportation, and storage. In this article, the procedures used for measuring the strength and durability of the densified products are discussed. The effects of constituents of the feed such as starch, protein, fiber, fat, lignin and extractives; feed moisture content; feed particle size and its distribution; feed conditioning temperature/preheating of feed; added binders; and densification equipment variables (forming pressure, and pellet mill and roll press variables) on the strength and durability of the densified products are reviewed. This article will help select process parameters to produce strong and durable densified products from new biomass feedstocks or animal feed formulations. Guidelines for developing standards on criteria for the acceptance levels of strength and durability of the densified products are presented.     

A review of European standards for pellet quality

The quality of pellets is directly related to their physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. It affects the emissions resulting from their combustion and also their use in stoves and boilers. Certain European countries have developed standards specifying control parameters and guidelines with a view to guaranteeing the effective and environmentally-friendly combustion of pellets. This paper presents a comparative study of regulations and standards created by government authorities in Austria, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and France. Also considered are the guidelines of the European Standard Committee CEN/TC 335 for densified biomass fuels. The comparison of these standards provides evidence of significant differences in the quality parameters and guidelines for the manufacture and use of pellets in Europe. The results obtained could be used as a technical reference for all issues related to the production, sale and research on pellets.     

Potential applications of renewable energy sources,biomass combustion problems in boiler power systems and combustion related environmental issues

This paper describes the potential applications of renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuel combustion as the prime energy sources in various countries, and discusses problems associated with biomass combustion in boiler power systems. Here, the term biomass includes organic matter produced as a result of photosynthesis as well as municipal, industrial and animal waste material. Brief summaries of the basic concepts involved in the combustion of biomass fuels are presented. Renewable energy sources (RES) supply 14% of the total world energy demand. RES are biomass, hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind and marine energies. The renewables are the primary, domestic and clean or inexhaustible energy resources. The percentage share of biomass was 62.1% of total renewable energy sources in 1995. Experimental results for a large variety of biomass fuels and conditions are presented. Numerical studies are also discussed. Biomass is an attractive renewable fuel in utility boilers. The compositions of biomass among fuel types are variable. Ash composition for the biomass is fundamentally different from ash composition for the coal. Especially inorganic constituents cause to critical problems of toxic emissions, fouling and slagging. Metals in ash, in combination with other fuel elements such as silica and sulfur, and facilitated by the presence of chlorine, are responsible for many undesirable reactions in combustion furnaces and power boilers. Elements including K, Na, S, Cl, P, Ca, Mg, Fe, Si are involved in reactions leading to ash fouling and slagging in biomass combustors. Chlorine in the biomass may affect operation by corrosion. Ash deposits reduce heat transfer and may also result in severe corrosion at high temperatures. Other influences of biomass composition are observed for the rates of combustion and pollutant emissions. Biomass combustion systems are non-polluting and offer significant protection of the environment. The reduction of greenhouse gases pollution is the main advantage of utilizing biomass energy.     

Effect of fly ash and H2S on a Ni-based catalyst for the upgrading of a biomass-generated gas

The main concern about the technology for the production of hydrogen and transport fuels by biomass gasification is the presence of contaminants (H₂S, tars, fly ash, alkali, and heavy metals, ammonia) that are poisonous for the catalysts used for upgrading the biomass-generated gas. The impact of the main contaminants on a Ni/MgAl(O) reforming catalyst was studied in a laboratory environment, by exposing the studied sample to H₂S, NH₃, K₂SO₄, KCl, ZnCl₂, and a solution derived from biomass fly ash. Lastly, the catalyst was also streamed with a gas produced by a bench-scale downdraft gasifier. The extent of deactivation was examined in the methane steam reforming reaction, under different operational conditions. The main effect of the treatments was a decrease in the bulk surface area and in the metal dispersion. Streaming H₂S quickly deactivated the catalyst; however, the activity was recovered by increasing the inlet temperature or by adding O₂ to the stream. In further laboratory tests, the performances of the catalyst seemed not to be greatly affected by either the above treatments or by the presence of ammonia in the fed water. The catalyst produced a syngas composition close to that predicted at equilibrium even after being streamed with the biomass-generated gas.     

Conversion of straw and similar agricultural wastes

Mainly the economic aspects prevent a far more extensive use of biomass, including straw as a fuel in energy supply.

During the latest years several straw fired plants have been put in operation, especially in Denmark, and they have demonstrated that both district heating and combined heat and power (CHP) production based on straw are technically possible.

However, experience has shown that a very precise research and development effort is necessary before the straw fired plants are competitive to traditional plants fired with fossil fuels, as to operational safety and economy.

The R & D activities ought first and foremost to aim at: 1) Reduction of costs connected to all processes from harvest to energy production, 2) wider know-how of the firing and combustion technical characteristics of straw, and 3) environmental conditions, including emissions and ash depositing problems.     

Hydrogen as a vector for central receiver solar utilities

An assessment is presented to use hydrogen or hydrogen-rich fuels as a vector in the Central Receiver Solar Utility (CRSU) concept.

The CRSU is conceived to meet primarily the domestic energy requirements for space heating and hot water production of a community. It normally operates to provide low grade heat with sensible seasonal heat storage and district heating systems. However, there are institutional problems connected with using sensible heat storage and low grade energy distribution systems into dwellings.

An alternative to this would be to produce hydrogen and hydrogen-rich fuels by using an advanced conversion technology and eliminate low grade heat storage and distribution systems. Two developing technologies, namely high temperature electrolysis and thermochemical processes, are considered for production of the vector. Then, an assessment is carried out at the conceptual level for fully dedicated Central Receiver Solar Utility Plants which integrate a central receiver system, thermochemical plant or electrical power generating system and synthetic fuel production plant with necessary auxiliary sub-systems.

It is shown that for a 10% capital recovery factor, the cost of hydrogen at the plant will be about $18 per GJ using thermochemical processes and about $20 per GJ using high temperature electrolysis processes.

The solar-hydrogen can also be converted to a more easily stored fuel for domestic use such as methanol, ethanol, ammonia or fuel oil. In this case, there is a distinct possibility that by using waste heavy fuels, tar sands and biomass, the cost of synthetic fuel can be considerably reduced.     

Production of solid biomass and investigation of optimum thermal properties

Recognizing the fact that 5% of annual global primary production of biomass should cover 50% of the world’s current primary energy demand, plants widely available in Turkey, such as Astragalus, great mullein and sunflower, have been pelletized mixed in specific amounts to investigate their burning behaviors versus other fuels. Taguchi method was used to obtain a pelletized fuel with maximum calorie, low humidity, and low ash. Results suggested that the pellet has low humidity and ash content, while its caloric value is greater than that of the pomace, lignite, wood, sawdust, or animal and plant wastes used as fuel.     

Effects of increased biomass pellet combustion on ambient air quality in residential areas—a parametric dispersion modeling study

Sweden's goals of contemporaneously reducing CO₂ emissions and phasing out nuclear power will require a maximum utilization of biomass fuels. This would imply a significant shift from electricity and fuel oil to biomass generated heat, but must also be accomplished without a deterioration of the local air quality. The most suitable energy carrier seems to be pelletized biomass fuels with their associated low emissions and considerable residential conversion potential. Using an underlying statistical design, a parametric dispersion modeling study was performed to estimate and illustrate the combined effects of source-specific, meteorological and modeling variables on the ambient air quality in a typical residential area for different conversion scenarios. The work nicely illustrated the benefits of combining statistical designs with model calculations. It further showed that the concentration of combustion related ambient THC was strongly related to conditions affecting the source strength, but only weakly to the dispersion conditions and model variables. Time of year (summer or winter); specific emission performance; extent of conversion from electricity; conversion from wood log combustion; and specific efficiency of the pellet appliances showed significant effects in descending order. The effects of local settings and model variables were relatively small, making the results more generally applicable. To accomplish the desired conversion to renewable energy in an ecologically and sustainable way, the emissions would have to be reduced to a maximum advisable limit of 25±7 mgTHC/MJ_fuel (given as CH₄). Further, the results showed the potential positive influence by conversion from wood log to low emission pellet combustion.     

Design of solid biofuels blends to minimize the risk of sintering in biomass boilers

Biomass with high concentration of alkali/alkaline and silica components can lead to slagging/fouling, and sintering of the ash deposits, causing corrosion and erosion of the boilers. There are several methods to predict bed agglomeration such as slagging/fouling indexes. However, these indexes are developed to be used for coal ashes, which shows a different behaviour than biomass fuels. The aim of this work was to determine the suitable percentage of different species found in biomass blends in order to reduce the risk of slagging and sintering. We studied the ash behaviour of 24 blended biomass samples using two slagging indexes: the alkali index, and the % of bases in ashes index, and we validated these two indexes with the Bioslag test, and with the Hardness Index (%D₁). There is low risk of slagging in most of the samples, as well as a low sintering risk. However, some samples present moderate risk of sintering possibly due to SiO₂. The Bioslag test and the %D₁ test support our results. Samples showing risk of sintering exceed 25% of the total accumulated ash weight percentage ac%_1P>25%, and show a hardness of %D₁ > 0.7. These validations can be considered as useful tools for estimating slagging and sintering of woody biomass fuels in domestic pellet boilers.     

Alkali retention/separation during bagasse gasification: a comparison between a fluidised bed and a cyclone gasifier

Biomass fuelled integrated gasification/gas turbines (BIG/GTs) have been found to be one of the most promising technologies to maximise electricity output in the sugar industry. However, biomass fuels contain alkali metals (Na and K) which may be released during the gasification processes and cause deleterious effects on the downstream hardware (e.g. the blades of gas turbines). Much research has therefore been focused on different kinds of gas cleaning. Most of these projects are using a fluidised bed gasifier and includes extensive gas cleaning which leads to a high capital investment.

Increasing alkali retention/separation during the gasification may lead to improved producer gas quality and reduced costs for gas cleaning. However, very little quantitative information is available about the actual potential of this effect. In the present work, comparative bench-scale tests of bagasse gasification were therefore run in an isothermal fluidised bed gasifier and in a cyclone gasifier to evaluate which gasification process is most attractive as regards alkali retention/separation, and to try to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the retention.

The alkali retention in the fluidised bed gasifier was found to be in the range of 12–4% whereas in the cyclone gasifier the alkali separation was found to be about 70%. No significant coating of the fluidised bed's bed material particles could be observed. The SEM/EDS and the elemental maps of the bed material show that a non-sticky ash matrix consisting of mainly Si, Al and K were distributed in a solid form separated from the particles of bed material. This indicates the formation of a high temperature melting potassium containing silicate phase, which is continuously scavenged and lost from the bed through elutriation.     

The physicochemical properties of different biomass ashes at different ashing temperature

There are no specific standards for biomass ash analysis in China, so the standards for coal ash analysis are usually used to determine the property of biomass ash. Three kinds of biomass including rice straw, pine sawdust and Chinese Parasol Tree leaf burned at 815 °C, 600 °C and 500 °C respectively corresponding to the temperature required in the standard of GB and ASTM. The ash content and composition were analyzed. Based on the ash composition results, the volatilization of alkali oxides in biomass ash and slagging/fouling problems related to biomass thermochemical conversion were investigated. The alkali metals were relatively more volatile with the increasing of ashing temperature. The crystalline phase composition and surface morphology characteristics of the ash particles were investigated by XRD and SEM analysis. The increasing ashing temperature resulted in the decreasing of the diffraction intensities of metal salts and the increasing of the diffraction intensities of silicon compound. Ash fusion temperatures were measured by 5E-AFII Ash Fusion Analyzer. The results indicated that the ash content, composition, crystalline phases composition, surface morphology and ash fusibility were all closely related to ashing temperatures. The analysis at 600 °C ashing temperature was regarded as the optimal for an exact determination of ash properties.     

Qualitative insights into the commercialization of wood pellets: The case of Andalusia,Spain

Pelletizing technology is gaining significance as an alternative for optimizing energy recovery from solid biomass. The large-scale implementation of wood pellets as a biofuel has the potential to replace fossil fuels for heat and power production.This study explores the knowledge of different agents in the pellet supply sector regarding pellets made from wood, the major factors influencing the application of this energy source, and the potential demand for new formats and packaging. Such knowledge can help the sector develop strategies to better commercialize this biofuel.A qualitative study among managers (producers and distributors) is carried out, together with a quantitative study of the biomass sector and the wood pellet market in particular.The key findings are outlined. Firstly, that the pellet is mainly for the heating of family homes and other buildings, given its convenience, cleanliness, ease of use and stable characteristics. Secondly, that firms that work in the sector agree that the 15 kg pack is the most adequate, given its ease of use, transport and storage. Finally, results reveal how direct distribution to domestic users will predominate in this sector. Yet this calls for broader coverage through diverse points of sale.The research makes an original contribution to the literature by generating in-depth knowledge about the logistics and future market potential of wood biomass. The final recommendations will contribute to formulate policies designed to stimulate more widespread take-up of heating systems based on this type of biomass.     

城市垃圾焚烧飞灰物理化学性质及重金属风险分析

对7种城市垃圾焚烧飞灰的物理化学性质进行了详细表征。针对飞灰中重金属成分复杂的特点对重金属含量、形态分布和浸出毒性进行了分析,并进行了风险评估指数和风险指数计算。飞灰的化学组分和晶相结构分析显示,城市垃圾焚烧飞灰中含有大量的CaO、CaSO₄、SiO₂、Al₂O₃、NaCl和KCl等化合物,具有资源化利用的潜力。但同时飞灰中含有大量的重金属,其中Pb和Cd的生态风险高,浸出毒性高于飞灰直接处理和处置要求。研究结果表明,垃圾焚烧飞灰需进行处理至达到一定要求后才能进行资源化利用。     

Comments on probabilities of leaks and breaks of safety-related piping in PWR plants

Leaks or failures with a safety significance in Cl 1 or Cl 2 piping of nuclear power plants (NPP) in Germany are very rare events. This excellent record in operating experience is matched by many NPPs in other countries.

The advances achieved in the understanding of fracture behaviour, in the methods of non-destructive testing and surveillance, together with operating experiences, can be used in the re-evaluation of piping systems that have been designed and manufactured to the standards given at the time of construction.

Comments and examples are presented for determining the probability of leaks and breaks in the whole range of Cl 1 and Cl 2 piping systems.     

Reasons for slagging during stemwood pellet combustion and some measures for prevention

Ash related problems have more than occasionally been observed in pellet burners during the last years. These problems lead to reduced accessibility of the appliances and also bad publicity for the pellet market. The objectives of the present work were therefore to: (i) determine the critical levels of the problematic ash components in stemwood pellets regarding slagging, (ii) document the variations of these problematic elements in the outgoing pellets from two pellet-mills during one operational season, (iii) determine how frequently these elements exceed the critical levels, (iv) determine how different sub-processes in the pelletising process (especially the dryer) effect the slagging properties of the pellet, and if possible (v) suggest some measures for prevention. A significant number of wood pellets reported to be problematic and problem-free, regarding slagging in ordinary residential pellet burners, were collected from the Swedish market. The ash compositions of these fuels were analysed and the results compiled in a database. Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) and F-tests were used to statistically identify both the critical ash components and the critical levels of these components that separated the two reported classes. In addition, chemical equilibrium model calculations were used to interpret the findings. The variations of these elements in the in-going raw material and in the produced pellets were determined during one season in two pellet mills equipped with exhaust gas dryers. The results showed that the problematic wood-pellets had a significantly higher amount of Si, but also Al and Fe, in the fuel ash. The critical level of Si (given as SiO₂) was about 20–25 wt% of the fuel ash, i.e. pellets with levels in or over this range resulted in slagging problems in residential burners. This critical Si content was exceeded once and twice for the analysed samples in the two studied pellet mills. In one of the studied mills, this was because of contamination by sand of the raw material during storage and handling, and in the other mill the reason was found to be contamination of the raw material by elutriated particles from the dryer fuel. The major conclusion of the work is that both raw materials and drying fuels/processes should be carefully treated to avoid mineral contamination, and an additional cyclone separator could potentially also be used to improve the pellet quality.     

生物质循环流化床锅炉掺烧防腐蚀剂的试验研究

在亚洲最大的50 MW生物质循环流化床直燃锅炉上进行了掺烧防腐蚀剂的燃烧试验,防腐蚀剂采用多孔膜结构,主要成分是MgO、高岭土、活性Al₂O₃和发泡剂,试验结果表明：掺烧防腐蚀剂不会降低锅炉热效率,且能够有效地降低飞灰中K、Cl元素的含量,将其固留在炉渣中。当防腐蚀剂添加量占总燃料质量的3%时,飞灰中的K元素含量由7.62%下降为5.69%,Cl元素含量由3.86%下降为2.35%;而炉渣中的K元素含量由4.03%上升为4.71%,Cl元素含量由756.58 mg/kg上升为1 121.31 mg/kg;同时烟气中的HCl排放量由25 mg/Nm3下降为15 mg/Nm³,NO含量由268 mg/Nm3上升为309 mg/Nm³。     

Economic sustainability for wood pellets production – A comparative study between Finland,Germany, Norway,Sweden and the US

The consumption of wood pellets grew rapidly during the last decade. In this paper we compare the development of the production factors for wood pellet markets in Finland, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the US; we analyze how domestic market prices for pellet production factors as well as domestic market prices for pellets vary among the countries. The analyses are based on two model plants. The first represents common technologies for small scale pellet production based on dry residues from sawnwood production, while the second represents large scale production based on a blend of dry and wet materials. The results show how differences in costs of feedstock, energy and labor affect the profitability of pellet production and hence the development of pellet production in the analyzed countries. Pellet producers in the US have lower feedstock costs than producers in the analyzed European countries. The economic sustainability for European pellet producers depends to a large extent on their domestic markets as internationally traded pellets are priced lower than their production costs. Future pellet production will, to a greater extent, be based on wet feedstock such as roundwood and wet sawdust. These feedstocks are also demanded by wood-based industries (pulp and paper, particle- and fiber-board) as well as for traditional fuelwood. The transition from smaller pellet plants using dry feedstock to larger plants using wet feedstock in future pellet production, can be expected to follow comparative advantages regarding feedstock and energy costs, but also with respect to economies of scale.     

Characterization of Canadian biomass for alternative renewable biofuel

Biomass represents the renewable energy source and their use reduces the consumption of fossil fuels and limits the emission of CO₂, SO_x, NO_x and heavy metals. They are used in pyrolysis, gasification, combustion and co-combustion. Present study aims to highlight the common biomass available in Canada such as wheat straw, barley straw, flax straw, timothy grass and pinewood. The biomass samples were collected form Saskatoon, Canada and examined for their physical and chemical characteristics using static bomb calorimeter, XRD, TGA, ICP-MS, CHNSO, FT-IR and FT-NIR. The biomass samples were subjected to three-step extraction process, i.e. hexane, alcohol and water extraction separately, after extraction the raffinate biomass was acid hydrolyzed. The acid soluble fractions, which mainly contained degraded sugars, were analysed by HPLC and the lignin content was determined using acid insoluble fraction. The hexane extract (i.e. waxes), alcohol extract and lignin were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy. Among all the biomass samples pinewood shows lower ash and lignin content, while shows higher calorific value, cellulose and hemicellulose content. The appreciable amount of hexane soluble in pinewood was due to the presence of terpene hydrocarbons. However among the agricultural biomass samples barley straw shows higher ash, wax and lignin content compared to wheat and flax straw. All these properties combined together have shown that pinewood, wheat and flax can act as the potential candidates for bio-energy production.     

Cofiring coal and dairy biomass in a 29 kWt furnace

Cofiring biomass with fossil fuels is emerging as a viable option for promoting the use of low quality renewable biomass fuels including energy crops. In the current work, dairy biomass (DB) is evaluated as a cofiring fuel with coal in a small scale 29 kW_t boiler burner facility. Two types of coal (Texas lignite, TXL and Wyoming Powder River Basin coal, WYO) and two forms of partially composted DB fuels were investigated (low ash separated solids LA-PC-SepSol-DB and high ash soil surface HA-PC-SoilSurf-DB). Proximate and ultimate analyses performed on both coals and both DBs reveal the following: higher heating value (HHV) of 28,460–29,590 kJ/kg for dry ash free (DAF) coals and 21,450 kJ/kg for DB; nitrogen loading of 0.36 and 0.48 kg/GJ for WYO and TXL, respectively and 1.50 and 2.67 kg/GJ for the LA-PC-SepSol-DB and the HA-PC-SoilSurf-DB respectively; sulfur loading of 0.15 and 0.42 kg/GJ WYO and TXL, respectively and 0.33 and 0.43 kg/GJ for the LA-PC-SepSol-DB and the HA-PC-SoilSurf-DB respectively; ash loading from 3.10 to 8.02 kg/GJ for the coals and from 11.57 to 139 kg/GJ for the DB fuels.