2022 Pellet Mill Magazine Issue 1 by BBI International

Issue 1, 2022

FROM THE GROUND UP How the Schrock Family Built its Business Page 14

PLUS: Lynemouth Power Station Weighs its Options Page 10

Keys to Successful Pellet Project Management Page 20

www.biomassmagazine.com/pellet

Advanced Biofuels & Biochemicals

Pellet Mill Operations

MARCH 14-16, 2022

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All Things Biomass

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The biomass industry is changing fast, and the best way to capitalize on new opportunities and overcome new challenges is to get educated. Leverage the International Biomass Conference & Expo’s community of producers, partners and industry experts during three days of learning, sharing and connecting to strum up your business.

WHERE E PR PRODUCERS MEET PELLETS, DENSIFIED BIOMA PELL ASS, BIOMASS POWER, BIOMASS THERM MAL, BIOGAS & RNG, WASTE-TO-ENERGY, ADV DVANCED BIOFUELS, BIOBASED CHEMICA CAL LS Produced By:

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Contents »

2022 | VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 1

FEATURES 10 OPERATIONS

Now and Beyond 2027 Lynemouth Power Station is evaluating options for extending its operations long into the future, including biomass energy carbon capture and storage. By Anna Simet

14 PROFILE

From Family Roots to Fiber Fiber By-Products, the largest wood pellet producer in Michigan, has a rich, family-oriented company history based on a vision of reducing waste. By Alison Lee

04 EDITOR'S NOTE How About 10 More Weeks of Winter? By Anna Simet

05 EVENTS

COLUMNS

06 Business in an Era of Mild Winters By Tim Portz

07 The Impact of Consistent Moisture Monitoring By Sarah Hammond

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Pellet Mill Magazine

Advertiser Index 2

2022 Int'l Biomass Conference & Expo

Biomass Magazine

Biomass Magazine's Webinar Series

Benetech

CPM Global Biomass Company

George K. Moss Company

Jacobs Corporation

KEITH Manufacturing Company

Mid-South Engineering Company

MoistTech

Pellet Mill Magazine

Screw Conveyor Corporation

SGS Canada Inc.

Wolf Material Handling Systems

CONTRIBUTIONS 20 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

Project Management: Planning, Execution and Critical Communication Devising a solid plan that is communicated with stakeholders is key to mitigating risks and achieving project success. By Jeffrey Tuma

22 PRODUCT

Understanding Ash Fusibility With many potential factors involved, troubleshooting undesired ash behavior can be complex. By Chris Wiberg

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT 24 GEORGE K. MOSS CO. INC. In-House Expertise

25 BENETECH

Safety by Design

ON THE COVER

Fiber By-Products team members stand outside of the White Pigeon, Michigan, pellet manufacturing operation that is colocated with the company's trucking business, Coppercoin Transport Inc. (From left to right) Cory Schrock, general manager; Matt Myers, production manager; Jon Gingerich, sales and procurement; Brack Schrock, yard manager; and Chad Schrock, president.

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« Editor's Note

How About 10 More Weeks of Winter?

Anna Simet

EDITOR asimet@bbiinternational.com

The groundhog said six more weeks of winter, but most pellet producers wouldn’t mind if it extended long beyond that. As discussed in a subsequent column by Tim Portz, Pellet Fuels Institute executive director, while heating degrees days (HDD) in most pelletconsuming regions are currently mirroring or ahead of year’s heating season—a win, of course—a closer look is a little more telling: This year lags the long-term HDD average by quite a bit. As for what this might mean, I will direct you to Portz’s speculations, which you can find on page 6. As for other content in this issue of Pellet Mill Magazine, be sure to check out “From Family Roots to Fiber,” on page 14. Written by freelancer writer Alison Lee, the feel-good story chronicles the Schrock family’s journey from an animal bedding manufacturer to the largest wood pellet producer in Michigan (with numerous other products), complimented by a full-scale trucking business that adds tremendous value to the operation. Our other feature article in this issue, “Now and Beyond 2027,” page 10, profiles the Lynemouth Power Station conversion in northeast England, which included massive investments in material handling infrastructure—not only at the plant, but also the Port of Tyne, which receives the wood pellet shipments consumed by the plant. A focus of the discussion I had with Jonathan Scott, the station’s commercial and fuel director, was that while completing the conversion and successfully reaching full operations was a tremendous accomplishment, it is certainly not the plant’s end game. When that work was finished, the focus quickly turned to the future, which may involve biomass energy carbon capture and storage, or BECCS. Scott told me that Lynemouth is currently working with the government to understand if the project is viable, and whether it would receive necessary support to move forward. As for contributions in this issue, topics include the critical nature of thorough project planning and effective communication to all stakeholders, and understanding ash fusibility and its causes. The latter errs on the side of technical, but Chris Wiberg, vice president of laboratories at Timber Products Inspection/Biomass Energy Lab (and a frequent Pellet Mill Magazine contributor) excels at conveying the subject matter in an easy-to-digest manner. In this article, page 22, he dives into troubleshooting the potential causes of ash fusion and how to identify it based on the appearance of the ash, or clinkers. As a final note, allegedly, Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting early springs and more winter since the 1880s, with 105 continued winters and 20 early springs predicted. This equates to a 39% accurate rate, according to Stormfax Almanac. Not a great record, considering with 130-plus years of experience. Anecdotal weather predictions aside, to all my producer friends and other stakeholders, here’s to some long cold snaps on the back end of winter.

Subscriptions to Pellet Mill Magazine are free of charge—distributed 4 times/year—to Biomass Magazine subscribers.To subscribe, visit www.BiomassMagazine.com or you can send your mailing address to Pellet Mill Magazine Subscriptions, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. You can also fax a subscription form to 701-746-5367. Back Issues & Reprints Select back issues are available for $3.95 each, plus shipping. Article reprints are also available for a fee. For more information, contact us at 866-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com. Advertising Pellet Mill Magazine provides a specific topic delivered to a highly targeted audience. We are committed to editorial excellence and high-quality print production. To find out more about Pellet Mill Magazine advertising opportunities, please contact us at 866-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com. Letters to the Editor We welcome letters to the editor. Send to Pellet Mill Magazine Letters to the Editor, 308 2nd Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203 or email to asimet@bbiinternational.com. Please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space.

4 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2022

Industry Events » 2022 International Biomass Conference & Expo

March 14-16, 2022

The Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, Jacksonville, FL

EDITORIAL

EDITOR Anna Simet asimet@bbiinternational.com ONLINE NEWS EDITOR Erin Voegele evoegele@bbiinternational.com

DESIGN

The 15th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo unites industry professionals from all sectors of the world’s interconnected biomass utilization industries—biobased power, thermal energy, fuels and chemicals. Produced by Biomass Magazine, this event brings current and future producers of bioenergy and biobased products together with waste generators, energy crop growers, municipal leaders, utility executives, technology providers, equipment manufacturers, project developers, investors and policy makers. It’s a true one-stop shop– the world’s premier educational and networking junction for all biomass industries. This event provides the opportunity to meet face-to-face with industry experts who will offer new technology and solutions to making plants and facilities safely operate at peak capacity and optimum efficiency. (866) 746-8385 - www.BiomassConference.com

VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION & DESIGN Jaci Satterlund jsatterlund@bbiinternational.com

Carbon Capture & Storage Summit

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Raquel Boushee rboushee@bbiinternational.com

Capturing and storing carbon dioxide in underground wells has the potential to become the most consequential technological deployment in the history of the broader biofuels industry. Deploying effective carbon capture and storage at biofuels plants will cement ethanol and biodiesel as the lowest carbon liquid fuels commercially available in the marketplace. The Carbon Capture & Storage Summit will offer attendees a comprehensive look at the economics of carbon capture and storage, the infrastructure required to make it possible and the financial and marketplace impacts to participating producers. 866.746.8385 | FuelEthanolWorkshop.com

PUBLISHING & SALES CEO Joe Bryan jbryan@bbiinternational.com

PRESIDENT Tom Bryan tbryan@bbiinternational.com VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS/ MARKETING & SALES John Nelson jnelson@bbiinternational.com SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER/ BIOENERGY TEAM LEADER Chip Shereck cshereck@bbiinternational.com ACCOUNT MANAGER Bob Brown bbrown@bbiinternational.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Jessica Tiller jtiller@bbiinternational.com MARKETING & ADVERTISING MANAGER Marla DeFoe mdefoe@bbiinternational.com MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Dayna Bastian dbastian@bbiinternational.com

JUNE 13, 2022

Minneapolis Convention Center | Minneapolis, MN

2022 Int’l Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo

JUNE 13-15, 2022

Minneapolis Convention Center | Minneapolis, MN From its inception, the mission of this event has remained constant: The FEW delivers timely presentations with a strong focus on commercial-scale ethanol production—from quality control and yield maximization to regulatory compliance and fiscal management. The FEW is the ethanol industry’s premier forum for unveiling new technologies and research findings. The program is primarily focused on optimizing grain ethanol operations while also covering cellulosic and advanced ethanol technologies. 866.746.8385 | FuelEthanolWorkshop.com

Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Summit

JUNE 13-15, 2022

Minneapolis Convention Center | Minneapolis, MN The Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Summit is a forum designed for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers to learn about cutting-edge process technologies, new techniques and equipment to optimize existing production, and efficiencies to save money while increasing throughput and fuel quality. Produced by Biodiesel Magazine, this world-class event features premium content from technology providers, equipment vendors, consultants, engineers and producers to advance discussion and foster an environment of collaboration and networking through engaging presentations, fruitful discussion and compelling exhibitions with one purpose: to further the biomass-based diesel sector beyond its current limitations. 866.746.8385 | BiodieselSummit.com

Please check our website for upcoming webinars www.biomassmagazine.com/pages/webinar

Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts or samples before recycling TM

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BUSINESS IN AN ERA OF MILD WINTERS BY TIM PORTZ

At the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo in early 2018, the Pellet Fuels Institute announced a strategic effort to increase pellet appliance installations. This effort was called Operation 100k, aligning the effort’s name with the stated goal of returning the yearly average of appliance installations to 100,000 units. Measuring the PFI’s progress against this goal was doomed from the start, as sales data from appliance manufacturers is offered on a voluntary basis, and participation is hit or miss. While data exists for pellet appliance sales through 2020, there are varying opinions on how much of the market is represented in that data. Additionally, new installations are only part of the story. Industry observers know that each year, a certain percentage of older appliances come offline. These instances are referred to as retirements. In some instances, retired pellet appliances are replaced with a new pellet appliance, but not always. Together, these factors make it increasingly difficult to calculate how many burn pots are consuming wood pellets in American homes each year. The industry deals in various forms of shorthand, generally referring to wood pellets being a primary heating source for roughly 1 million American homes, but these are little more than educated guesses. Apart from these vague notions of the installed base of wood pellet heating, wood pellet manufacturers are left with just the accumulated data of their past sales, and the sector’s overall sales as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in the widely consumed and studied Monthly Densified Biomass Fuel Report. Not surprisingly, most wood pellet producers are uncomfortable relying exclusively on their rearview mirror to understand where their businesses may be headed regarding the demand realities of tomorrow’s wood pellet marketplace. Wood pellet manufacturing is a capital-intensive, cash flow-challenged and low-margin business that rewards producers who consistently match production with expected sales. Talk with any wood pellet manufacturer about how their business is going, and in a matter of minutes, you’ll be talking about the depth and length of the current heating season. Wood pellet manufacturers cheer the kind of winter that only heating professionals can love, day after day of below-normal temperatures stretching from the first day of autumn to the very last day

6 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2022

of spring. The Heating Degree Day (HDD) has emerged as the go-to unit of measure to quantify space heating demand, and wood pellet manufacturers obsess over these figures throughout the heating season. This year, the PFI launched its own HDD Index to compare this year’s HDD’s in 12 towns scattered across the pellet burning regions of the U.S. The result is an easyto-consume, heads-up indicator of how this year’s winter is stacking up when compared to last year and the longterm average. The most recent data shows a heating season that, in two-thirds of the reporting cities, has caught up with—and even surpassed—last year’s winter. For the most part, this year’s heating season throughout the midAtlantic and New England are on par or slightly ahead of last year’s data. The truly compelling and worrisome data is reflected in the column that compares this season’s accumulated HDDs with the long-term norm. In all but one pellet-burning location on the PFI HDD Index, this year is lagging the long-term average by more than 10%. The result is lackluster sales, and while the current data available (at press time) via the EIA’s Monthly Densified Biomass Report only captures sales through October, the numbers lag last year’s by almost 200,000 tons. After discussions with producers, it is clear that the sales figures yet to be shared in the publicly available data for November and December were also lackluster, and will likely result in the smallest pellet-selling year since 2018. Are the past two years and their mild winters the new norm? Will pellet-burning locales consistently deliver 10 to 15% fewer HDDs each heating season? Are we experiencing the new normal in space heat demand? Opinions may vary on the answers to these questions, but what cannot be argued is that driving new pellet appliance installations is every bit as critical today as it was in 2018. If winter is to remain a shorter and milder affair, pellet producers will need more appliances to fuel if the market for wood pellets is to grow. Author: Tim Portz Executive Director, Pellet Fuels Institute tim@pelletheat.org www.pelletheat.org

THE IMPACT OF CONSISTENT MOISTURE MONITORING BY SARAH HAMMOND

Moisture sensors are used for measurements in all kinds of wood types including fiber, sawdust, hog fuel, wood flakes, particles and more. Controlling the amount of moisture in wood products is a critical concern of the forest industry. Excess moisture can be impactful on final product quality and production. Near-infrared (NIR) moisture sensing technology allows wood product manufacturers the ability to adjust moisture levels on real-time information, lowering raw material and fuel costs, achieving higher yields, and resulting in more uniform products. NIR moisture measurement is a noncontact measurement that offers clear advantages over the traditional methods, with the most important being ease of use, elimination of hazardous chemicals, and increased efficiency of product testing. With NIR analysis, all manual steps of collecting, drying and accurately weighing samples are eliminated. Continuous monitoring of moisture content enables proactive avoidance of potential issues caused by out-of-tolerance moisture levels. Why Controlling Moisture Matters When moisture levels fluctuate, it can cause significant changes to wood applications. These inconsistencies mean that the final product will have varying quality, depending on when in production they were created. Accurately detecting moisture levels frequently throughout the process allows for line adjustments as needed, improving the overall functionality and efficiency of the facility. Quality and consistency are crucial when it comes to maintaining a manufacturing line with wood applications. It is important to have a consistent product from start to finish, which means being able to detect moisture content accurately and frequently. A moisture measurement system should be designed to provide accurate readings as often as needed to improve the manufacturing line and product. Inconsistencies can lead to wasted product and downtime in the manufacturing process. Optimizing and fine-tuning the production process can yield a multitude of benefits, which include the following. • Minimize costs, increase efficiency • Instant real-time feedback with thousands of measurements per second • Reduced energy usage and downtime • Reduction in fire and explosion risk • Plant production efficiency monitoring • Total dryer control • Blending monitoring for control of moisture and resin • Increased productivity allows operators to make critical process adjustments • Low cost—instant ROI • Noncontact, nondrift optical scan with +/- 0.05% accuracy

Where Moisture Should be Measured Moisture measurement and control is one of the biggest challenges pellet plant operators are tasked with both during production, and while material is in storage. In pellet plant design, it is a crucial implementation for proactive avoidance of quality control issues. As such, it is recommended to install sensors in several locations throughout the process to achieve ultimate efficiency—including incoming material lines, before and after the dryer, before the pelletizer and hammer mills and on finishing belts. Dryer efficiency is critical in controlling energy costs and product quality; installing a sensor prior to the dryer will monitor levels going into the dryer to provide better control over its efficiency. Moisture sensing after the dryer and prior to the pelletizer will result in significant cost savings. Products that contain too much moisture can cause the pelletizer to plug up, which results in the line shutting down, resulting in wasted time, energy and money. Throughout the plant, there are other production areas that moisture content effects are seen. These can be easily monitored and controlled with a proper system. Wood pellets require refining, drying and blending of wood waste prior to the pellet press; moisture monitoring throughout this process allows for 100% of the product to be instantly monitored. Incoming lines should be measured to monitor overpayment of materials. The higher the moisture content of incoming purchased wood fuels, the higher the overpayment, as the overuse of dryers results in excessive energy costs. Maximizing automation and increasing reliability is critical to operating personnel, and moisture monitoring can help achieve these goals. Moisture ranges outside of tolerance can unravel important facets of the production process, and even create wear and tear on other equipment that wouldn’t occur with proper moisture levels. Each phase of the manufacturing process runs more efficiently with accurate moisture content, ultimately increasing profits. Contact: MoistTech Corp. 941-727-1800 info@moisttech.com www.moisttech.com

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Business Briefs

PEOPLE, PRODUCTS & PARTNERSHIPS

Drax to invest $54m in world’s largest carbon capture project Drax Group announced it has approved a further investment in the development of its Yorkshire biomass energy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project, which will see Worley commence work on the front-end engineering and design phase. The £40 million ($54 million) capital investment includes site preparation works for BECCS and decommissioning of coal infrastructure following the end of the plant’s capacity market obligations after September. Drax’s coal units are due to close then, and BECCS work could get underway as soon as 2024. Drax aims to deploy BECCS on two of its biomass generating units by 2030,

PHOTO: DRAX GROUP

capturing and permanently storing up to 8 million metric tons of CO2 a year. Subject to adequate regulatory support, the first BECCS unit could be operational in 2027, with the second commissioned in 2030, according to Drax. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group is the company’s technology partner.

Andritz reports on Japan project benchmark Andritz recently reported that the biomass-fired PowerFluid circulating fluidized bed boiler (CFB) the company installed at Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding’s biomass power plant in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, has fulfilled all performance guarantee parameters and the plant’s warranty period has ended. The 50-MW facility has been in commercial operation since December 2020. The total project execution time from award of the order to the beginning of commercial operation was 39 months, according to Andritz. The company’s scope of supply comprised the engineering work, delivery, erection work and start-up of the fluidized bed boiler, including a flue gas cleaning system with high-dust selective catalytic reduction and auxiliary equipment. Andritz reports that it is currently working on 10 more CFB boiler projects in Japan, some of which are in the start-up phase and others that will go into operation during the next few years.

PHOTO: MITSUI ENGINEERING & SHIPBUILDING

8 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2022

US pellet exports reach 7.52 million metric tons in 2021 The U.S. exported just over 774,410 metric tons (MT) of wood pellets in December, up from approximately 764,259 MT the previous month and 564,826.2 MT in December 2020, according to data released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service in February. The U.S. exported wood pellets to more than a dozen countries in December. The U.K. was the top destination for U.S. wood pellet exports at 468,367.6 MT, followed by the Netherlands at 114,434.3 MT and Denmark at 91,434MT. Total pellet exports for 2021

U.S. Wood Pellet Exports, 2020 and 2021 Metric Tons (MT) Total Annual Total Annual Exported in Exports (MT) Value December 2020

774,410

7.26 million

$981.46 million

2021

564,826

7.52 million

$1.06 billion

SOURCE: FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE

reached 7.52 million MT at a value of $1.06 billion, compared to 7.26 million MT exported in 2020 at a value of $981.46 million.

Enviva to double production capacity, signs MOU with SAF producer In mid-January, Enviva Inc. announced accelerated plans to double its wood pellet production capacity, as well as the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a U.S.-based customer to supply wood pellets for conversion into low-carbon transportation fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Enviva did not disclose the name of the company, but noted that the biofuel producer is Enviva’s first U.S.-based customer. Under the MOU, the two companies will codevelop a supply chain strategy for advanced lowcarbon transportation fuels with a focus on the customer’s operations in the U.S. Southeast, and potentially California. Enviva said it is

evaluating plans to build one or more facilities in California with the intent of utilizing low-grade wood fiber from high-hazard zones in the state. The newly announced MOU represents Enviva’s second agreement related to SAF. In November, Enviva announced the signing of a 10-year, take-or-pay off-take contract with an industrial customer in Europe for 60,000 metric tons per year of wood pellets to be used as feedstock for SAF and other biofuels.

Drax begins operations at Arkansas satellite plant Drax Group is ramping up to full production at its Leola, Arkansas, pellet operation, the first of three new satellite pellet plants to be built in the state. Drax is investing $40 million in the facilities, which are expected to produce a total of around 120,000 metric tons of pellets a year from sawmill residues. The plants are all sited near sawmills, reducing infrastructure, operational, and transportation costs. Construction of the second Arkansas satellite plant in Russellville, Pope County, is underway with commissioning expected this year. Drax is continuing to develop plans for a third plant. PHOTO: DRAX GROUP

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« Operations

Now and Beyond 2027 Four years after its conversion from coal to wood pellets, Lynemouth Power Station is evaluating opportunities to extend operations long into the future. BY ANNA SIMET

The Lynemouth Power Station consumes roughly 1.5 million tons of wood pellets annually, which are primarily sourced from Canada and the U.S. PHOTO: LYNEMOUTH POWER STATION

hen it was first fired up in 1972, northeast England’s Lynemouth Power Station was designed to combust Northumberland coal—and it did, for its first 40 years of operation. During that time, most of the power generated at the 420-MW station was sent to a nearby aluminum factory, Lynemouth Smelter, which closed its doors in 2012. With the possibility of being converted to biomass already in the works, the plant changed hands a few times from then until now, with RWE npower taking over in 2013, and EPH acquiring the facility in 2016, a year after the plant ceased burning coal. When that happened, the biomass project began to gain momentum, says Jonathan Scott, commercial and fuel director at Lynemouth Power Station. “The government was looking at the asset base in the U.K. energy sector and opportunities to reduce emissions—Drax was another candidate— and at Lynemouth, this was done by modifying and replacing parts of the plant, from the coal handling system to the combustion process, with some substantial investments.” 10 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2022

The project aligned with the country’s ambitious CO2 reductions, and to aid in financials, the U.K. government granted Lynemouth a contract for difference (CfD), a mechanism designed to support low-carbon electricity generation by subsidizing the market price of power generated at the plant. As of now, the CfD extends to 2027. “It has been quite a successful project,” Scott says. “We’ve managed to reduce CO2 emissions substantially while maintaining output and efficiency levels similar to what we had with coal.” Just a few years after reaching full operations on wood pellets, attention is on potential strategies to keep the plant operating long after the CfD ends, according to Scott. He says most recently, much of the focus has been on fuel and potential alternatives to wood pellets—alternatives that are compatible with the converted plant and will allow for maximization of conversion investments, which totaled about $400 million. As for what those investments entailed, Scott begins with one of the major components of the project: its fuel receiving, handling and storage operation at the Port of Tyne.

The Project “Because of the type of storage and handling system needed, it required a substantial investment,” Scott says. “We identified some local ports that could meet the requirements, but because of the size of the investment required and the risks involved, it meant that we needed to go with just one port and directly invest in the material handling system on their land. So, we own and operate the facility.” As part of the project, the port financed a 125-metre quay extension, rail infrastructure and two new ecohoppers, and it provides all marine services and equipment related to unloading vessels, Scott says. “There are conveyors, transfer towers, safety systems, screening for ferrous and nonferrous contaminants, and additional conveyor systems for three storage silos, each of which has a capacity of 25,000 tons of wood pellets.” The 45-meter diameter, 194-foot-high concrete slip-formed silos can discharge pellets at a rate of up to 1,700 metric tons per hour, according to Spencer Group, the principal contractor, via dual closed conveying systems running 1,364

meters (4,475 feet). From there, Scott says, the wood pellets are reclaimed to a rail-loading silo, which may dispatch from four to six 25-wagon trains to Lynemouth each day. “The rail wagons have been specifically designed for wood pellets,” Scott says. “It’s a nice system. The trains feed into our storage at Lynemouth, which is about 50,000 tons.” While material handling was a significant part of the conversion, there was also significant work to prepare, replace and refurbish the combustion and emission control systems, which required major outages of all three 140-MW units. “There were four main packages with different EPC contractors for each—material handling onsite, material handling offsite, the combustion and emission modification, and the control system,” Scott says. “Tying the whole thing together was quite an investment. This meant going from operating with a full analog control system to a more modern, digital control system— imagine a coal power station that is 1970s vintage. The control system had to be modified quite substantially.” WWW.BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM/PELLET 11

The Port of Tyne is the largest wood pellet handler in Europe and receives 100% of Lynemouth Power Station's fuel. PHOTO: PORT OF TYNE

Also onsite at the power station is a warehouse facility that holds approximately 2,300 lines of specialized maintenance equipment, to avoid any downtime or issues related to sourcing spare parts. “With biomass, there are some specific dynamics behind this,” Scott says. “Much is to do with safety reasons, the material handling infrastructure and the various systems on the plant for handling wood pellets. There are many small, safety-critical systems in place after the biomass conversion, and if a system goes down, there is a safety risk and liability, so we need to carry more critical spares. Some are relatively

unique and not available in manufactures’ warehouses, so we hold many spares. If we do lose any production time, it’s minimized.” As for what aspects of the conversion were the most challenging, Scott says there were many, considering the project's massive caliber. “The timeframe was one—we were to complete the project quickly to get online—the expectation of the time scale was a challenge. It took a lot of effort from the EPC contractors and the experience of the Lynemouth team. Another [challenge] was getting to efficiency targets aligning with the plant’s safety and reliability plan.”

Operations »

The Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy Lynemouth Power Station has joined many other organizations from the global bioenergy industry in launching the Glasgow Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy, a signed declaration that outlines the indispensable role that bioenergy will play in net zero ambitions agreed by the international community. It sets out a vision for the sustainable growth of the bioenergy sector to 2050. For Lynemouth, the goal is to complete a comprehensive review of options for the plant from 2027 onward when the current CfD ends. This includes potential for BECCS, how it could be applied to the site, how it would interface with existing operations, and the work required to extend the operating period of the existing plant. While the innovation and emissions reductions achieved by converting from coal to wood pellets speaks for itself, the plant isn’t stopping there. Innovation & Looking Ahead In a bid to even further reduce its environmental footprint, Lynemouth is on the hunt to find an economical, beneficial use for combustion ash. “At the moment, it’s conditioned and sent into our ash bins onsite, but it could be used for various other beneficial purposes,” Scott says. “We have a couple of development trials taking place, centered around land remediation and whether the chemical composition of the ash can be helpful in remediating otherwise barren land. We are also having discussions with third parties in relation to its potential beneficial use in agriculture.” These efforts considered, Scott points out that compared to coal, the ash content of wood pellets is significantly lower, so the amount being landfilled since the conversion has been substantially reduced. And, as aforementioned, Lynemouth is in discussions with various U.K. government departments regarding different concepts for

running the plant from 2027 and beyond. BECCS is at the forefront of options. “We’re looking at business models for continuing to operate this as a biomass station,” Scott says. “The basis for the conversation investment was having the CfD until 2027, but the plant has a much longer expected life cycle. We’re starting to determine what the potential costs would be to extend its operating life—we believe a lot of the existing infrastructure could be replaced or repaired, and some improvements made. We have looked at alternatives to wood pellets, how to improve our efficiency and to reduce our auxiliary power. We don’t see any major barriers so far, with the investment signals from the government. A BECCS project would support the U.K.’s Net Zero Strategy, and we could be operating well into the 2030s and ’40s, supporting those targets.” In conclusion, Scott says, with plenty of steps yet to go, the work at Lynemouth Power Station isn’t yet done. He adds, “It’s never done.” Author: Anna Simet Editor, Pellet Mill Magazine asimet@bbiinternational.com 701-738-4961

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« Profile

FROM FAMILY

ROOTS

TO FIBER For 30 years, the Schrock family business has served as a link between waste wood producers and home heating. BY ALISON LEE

n 1992, Dale Schrock founded Fiber By-Products, a full-service wood waste diversion company that prevents some 150,000 tons of wood waste from being landfilled each year. If Schrock were around today, he would tell you that he didn’t launch business by design, but rather, by necessity. Prior to 1992, the large poultry barns on Schrock’s farm meant lots of wood shavings, and he was always looking for a better way of doing things, according to his sons, three of whom now run the business. He sought to recycle rather than waste, so he began with creating animal bedding. This soon extended beyond his own farm into other local farms, and it wasn’t long before surrounding businesses were impressed with his service and method. According to Cory Schrock, who is now general manager, it was very much a “We see what you’re doing, and we like it.” From there, Schrock’s business launched itself into a service-based company that served as a home for wood waste from local saw mills and wood product manufacturers. Fiber By-Products team members (left to right): Cory Schrock, general manager; Jon Gingerich, sales and procurement; Brad Schrock, yard manager; Matt Myers, production manager; and Chad Schrock, president. PHOTO: TIM PORTZ

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« Profile

Bill Elijah moves product in Fiber By-Products' indoor product storage warehouse, where the company keeps its wood pellets until its time to ship out to customers. PHOTO: TIM PORTZ

Wood waste received by local sources is prepared on-site for conversion into wood flour, animal bedding, mulch or heating pellets. PHOTO: TIM PORTZ

Along with his four sons—besides Cory, there are Chad, Brad and Ryan—Dale incorporated the company in 1994, and they moved off the family farm to build their business and extend their service area. Now, they were fulfilling bedding for all types of farms and creating wood flour for fillers and nonhazardous liquid absorption. Over time, Schrock’s sons took over the

operations, each lending their strengths in different areas in order to contribute to the company’s longstanding success. By 2002, they were overwhelmed with the product residuals they were collecting, but there was a problem—at the time, the animal bedding market wasn’t large enough to match the volume they could produce. Now, the Schrocks’ focus shifted to finding other

ways to utilize the wood fiber, and it wasn’t long before pellet production was the primary enterprise, with animal bedding market becoming a supporting operation. A Competitive Edge In 2005, the Schrocks purchased property in White Pigeon, Michigan, to develop and construct a wood pellet manufacturing

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WHEN YOU NEED TO BE SURE 16 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2022

plant, all while continuing to support the local need for animal bedding. Just two years later, the pellet plant was in full operation. Today, it sits on 35 acres, running operations 24 hours, 6 days a week. The plant is the largest pellet production facility in Michigan, with a 300-mile radius for distribution, primarily servicing the Great Lakes area as well as parts of Indiana and northern Ohio.

After Dale passed away unexpectedly in 2011, three of his four sons (Cory, Chad and Brad) continued to be involved with the business, and they’ve witnessed its evolution from a small animal bedding operation on their family farm to a business that employs a team of 70 and runs over 20 freightliners and nearly 250 semitrailers. Their vision of pursuing pellet production on a grander scale was successfully achieved, and continues to advance. But since when does a pellet production plant require so many trucks and trailers? Fiber By-Products falls outside the standard kind of service, Cory and Chad explain. Meaning, they are in the unique business of owning and operating their own fleet of semi-trucks and live-bottom, self-unloading trailers. With a leg up on competitors, the obvious advantage is cutting out both the cost of a third-party vendor, and the potential of failing to provide the statement service the company been known for since its inception. It has also allowed them to establish their own service garage that not only maintains and repairs its own equipment, but services the public, too. “We started as a service company and this is a way to extend additional support to the community,” Cory says. Coppercoin Garage and Coppercoin Transport Inc.

are both fully licensed and insured entities that support the pellet plant and distinctly set them apart in the industry. Their garage is ASE certified, state of Michigan tested and staffed with certified mechanics who can repair medium and heavy-duty trucks and trailers, with a specialization in walking floor trailer repairs and parts. “Service first, production second,” Cory says. This is what Dale would want. The wood waste that arrives at Fiber By-Products is always residuals or by-products of another industry or vendor within a 50-mile radius of the plant. Cory and Chad emphasize that they are not in the business of sourcing material or cutting down trees—waste material only. Chad emphasizes, “It’s important to us that we continue to provide an energy that’s both green on the front end, as well as the back.” Their entire process is waste-free, in fact. They house a dryer on-site that helps reduce moisture in their collection and ensure they’re efficiently converting the wood waste into quality product. And since Coppercoin Transport Inc. offers the opportunity for a vendor to occupy one of their trailers on-site, it enables manufacturers to dispose of their waste faster and more efficiently. This allows the Fiber By-Products team to pick up and collect in a timely manner, even daily,

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« Profile

and help reduce the number of weather elements that may affect the residue, another notable advantage of owning their own fleet. Not many producers have the ability to store surplus inventory indoors—most store their excess supply outside, with potential to experience losses due to the weather. Fiber By-Products is able to store its product in buildings, where it’s ready when the demand calls. The plant was built to protect the product and allow space to store it in its dense pellet form, versus loose shavings. Since they know supply and demand rarely meet, their philosophy is to produce both in and off season. “If we don’t have it today, we won’t sell it tomorrow,” Cory says. “We want to make sure we remain consistent with our vendors. We really value the long-term relationships regardless of what the collection and supply look like.” Today, Fiber By-Products produces roughly 85,000 tons of wood pellets each

year, well over double its initial production of 30,000 tons when the plant started up in 2006. Wood shavings for animal bedding, solidification or boiler fuel are often sold directly to customers by the semi- or truckloads. Pellets are packaged into 40-pound bags, loaded up 50 bags per skid, and sold wholesale to big box stores as well as independent businesses such as hearth and home shops and local hardware and retail stores. The company’s final product is wood flour with strict quality-control requirements. Chad is emphatic with the company’s commitment to quality. “Low-quality waste that does not meet our standards and specifications does not get included in our pellets or flour,” he says. Animal bedding or solidification for nonhazardous liquid absorption only. Looking Ahead As for growth, Chad and Cory high-

18 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2022

light the BTU Act as a potential stimulator. As it stands now, if consumers purchase and install a wood or pellet stove or a larger residential biomass heating system with a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75%, then they can claim a tax credit of 26% until the end of 2022. That credit will drop to 22% in 2023. As of early February, there had not been a renewal to that bill for 2024, but proposed legislation and industry advocates are pushing for it. “This tax incentive bodes well for the pellet industry and consumers,” Cory adds. “A pellet stove doesn’t require a chimney, so just about all residential homes can install one. There is a heightened awareness about the benefits of using biomass fuel sources to decrease carbon emissions and provide cleaner air. A pellet stove offers the refined wood fuel to really do that.” The company spent much of the last year identifying its five-year plan, Cory says. While always in pursuit for produc-

tion growth, he adds, they want to be deliberate with their plant’s efficiencies—i.e., concentrating their efforts on equipment changes and upgrades, better insight with tracking and record keeping, increasing internal operations and managing maintenance. “These are the things that it takes to continually evolve and meet the industry’s demands.” While the Schrocks carry on their father’s legacy, they find themselves emerged in day-to-day business. Yet, they’re always looking ahead in pursuit of ways to improve, upgrade and maximize productivity for a business that is not only their livelihood, but a mission they believe in. Dale would be proud. Through its trucking business Coppercoin Transport, Fiber By-Products operates a fleet of live bottom, selfunloading trailers, and owns a service garage for maintenance and repair work. PHOTO: TIM PORTZ

Contact: Anna Simet asimet@bbiinternational.com 701-738-4961

« Project Development

PHOTO: EVERGREEN ENGINEERING

Project Management: Development, Execution and Critical Communication In a recent pellet mill upgrade project, several challenges led the project to come in late and over budget. BY JEFFREY TUMA “The root of most problems is the solution of most problems: communication.” he foundation for success of a large project is communication. Whether verbal or written conveyance of peoples’ roles and responsibilities, when and where things are happening, or the specific metrics for success, a shared understanding by stakeholders is key. Another component of this is the value of visual communication. In engineering projects, visual communication might include organizational charts, project schedules, budget tracking and drawings,

all of which are instrumental in project execution. In the absence of these items, misunderstandings, costly overruns, frustrations between project members, project scope deviations and Tuma utter chaos can occur. In the example of a recent pellet mill upgrade project, it initially had a clearly defined project scope and budget, which led to the belief that it would be a very man-

ageable project, not requiring the rigor and project controls that one might typically see. The timeline was based merely on promised equipment deliveries, and installation would commence accordingly. Pretty straightforward, no schedule needed—so some believed. The project budget incorporated a solid contingency for the scope as planned, reserved for those items or circumstances that are generally described as “What we don’t know that we don’t know.” Thus, budgetary spending controls were not fully in place, nor expected to be utilized. In some cases, when subject matter experts feel that a project is easy or a no-brainer, the tendency can be to “not sweat the details,” and to skimp on things like engineering drawings. With this project being a retrofit of a narrow scope, end points and connection points (where the old process meets the new process) were deemed simple and not needing the additional project diligence coming from the proper engineering cycle. Projects of a certain size and scope can be led and managed by a single person. But when projects are large, or small ones grow, it is usually best for a project team to work together toward success. With this project appearing to be straightforward, one person was expecting to manage the budget, scope and schedule, as well as serve as the technical expert for design, installation and commissioning. This considered, the following are some valuable lessons learned, and accompanying recommendations. Communication: Open, Often and Visual Set a project schedule. As the project progressed from initial groundbreaking, contractors mobilized and sought to begin installation planning based on equipment delivery dates. In the beginning, all appeared okay, with a few minor slips and setbacks, but then came notification of the larger delivery delays. Compounding these delays were items being delivered out of sequence and not in full, leaving the installation contractor figuring out how to put the puzzle together. Naturally, questions came about: "When is this arriving? When can that be completed? Do we have enough resources to complete it?” If a project schedule had been used to communicate the impact

CONTRIBUTION: The claims and statements made in this article belong exclusively to the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pellet Mill Magazine or its advertisers. All questions pertaining to this article should be directed to the author(s).

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of the delays to all stakeholders, better decisions could have been made to reduce the costly overruns when having too many resources with not enough work, and vice versa. Additionally, the impacts and alternate planning would have been beneficial when it became apparent the project deadline for completed commissioning would not be met. Set a project budget. For this project, spending was fast and furious, as with most capital projects where high-dollar equipment requires larger initial payments. As the project progressed, the subject matter experts projected a large contingency for the initial scope, but did not want to miss out on the opportunity to include a few other items while the plant was down. At first, it was a few items here and there, but the list quickly lengthened—growing the scope of the project to encompass the entire plant site. With the current project spend not universally being known, the budget turned to managing the contingency drawdown to cover the added scope. When the unknowns became reality, the costs were unavoidable. With more delivery delays, cost overruns became inevitable. When the contingency was used early for added scope, the entire project ran over budget for the duration. Had the budget controls been in place, with visibility of current status and estimate to complete, different decisions may have led to the project coming in on budget. Make the plan and work it. A good engineering drawing set is merely a tool for communicating what to do and how to do it. It can clearly define the plan, and in the preliminary stage, identify areas of concern that need more diligence. A good example of this was in the planning of setting new equipment and conveyors. Equipment locations were predetermined, but the setting of the infeed conveyors was simply left to the installation contractors to modify, relocate and set. Leaving this to contractors can lead to misalignment, wrong configurations and improper design modifications. As the scope of the project increased, more areas of the plant were modified without proper drawing sets. This left the installation contractor to figure out more and more of the design themselves, leading

to costly rework upon inspection and commissioning. Had the plan been set from the beginning and been adjusted accordingly— e.g., drawing sets approved, then revised and communicated—the plan would have worked to better align with the initial budget, and may have mitigated much of the frustration between stakeholders. Share project execution. When managing small or simple projects, one can be of mind to handle all aspects alone. As projects grow, it is imperative to utilize a team to manage different parts of a project. A project manager or subject matter expert trying to manage everything will lead to missed details, miscommunications, frustrations among stakeholders, and ultimately, burnout. Having people take specific responsibilities within a project and communicate regularly on the status, past performance, and what’s ahead can mitigate the pitfalls common to projects that exceed initial project constraints. Specifically, when a group looks after the budget,

scope, schedule and performance, collectively, they can make better, more informed decisions than one person can by themselves. As observed, this likely would have helped this project stay under control and finish on time and budget. As we look to have good definition in all phases of pre-project planning, knowing and effectively communicating the plan is critical. When projects are approved for financial expenditure, stakeholders want to know what the risks are and how they are being mitigated. Having a good plan that can be communicated, whether it is written, verbal or visual, is key to mitigating risks and achieving project success. Author: Jeffrey Tuma Senior Project Manager, Evergreen Engineering Inc. 541-484-4771 www.evergreenengineering.com

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« Product

Understanding Ash Fusibility (Clinkers)

hen it comes to the science of biomass combustion, no parameter is more complicated than ash fusion. When ash fusion characteristics are favorable, ash remains ash, and the only challenge is to remove it from the combustion system in such a way that it does not build up excessively. Conversely, when ash fusion characteristics are not favorable, strange things happen—ash can clump together and may need to be broken up, or even chiseled out of an ash pan. It can form a brick, look like a fused piece of glass, or even resemble a honeycomb. This unwanted ash behavior is referred to as fouling or slagging when it builds up in industrial burners,

BY CHRIS WIBERG and is referred to as clinkers in smaller scale combustion appliances. No matter what you call it or how it looks, the process by which it forms is relatively simple, as it is just a function of melting point. However, troubleshooting it can be complex because there are many factors involved. First, let’s start by qualifying that “clean” ash (free of dirt, rocks, unburned carbon, etc.) is primarily a combination of inorganic oxides. When biomass is burned, the organic material (essentially all the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen) is released, and inorganic minerals remain in the oxidized form that we see as ash. Through testing, we know that biomass ash is primarily composed of oxides of calcium, silica,

aluminum, magnesium, potassium, manganese, sodium, iron, phosphorus and other minerals. Each of these oxidized minerals is present as a solid, and like any other solid, they have a melting point. The range of melting points for the various mineral oxides present can vary greatly, and the overall melting point of the collective ash is a function of all the mineral fractions and chemical interactions that occur at the elevated temperatures of the combustion system. As a result, ash generally melts over a range of temperatures, rather than a specific temperature. The range can be anywhere from a few degrees to 50 or even 100 degrees Celsius. That’s why when you see ash fusion test results, it is reported as

22 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2022

a range of temperatures (e.g., deformation temperature=1,310 C, hemispherical temperature=1,330 C, flow temperature= 1,350 C). In this example, the ash melted over a range of 40 degrees C. Deformation temperature (DT) is considered the critical parameter in the ash fusion test because this is the temperature at which the ash first begins to melt and becomes “sticky.” Sticky ash will collect on essentially all surfaces within a combustion system, creating an insulating effect, which causes the temperature of the overall combustion system to increase. The increased temperature drives more melting. This process continues until the ash becomes fluid and essentially slags/fouls the system (shutdown time). Interestingly, the nature of the slag/clinker can tell you a few things. If the ash is clumpy but can still be broken by hand, then you know you were just above the DT. If you find actual glass, then the ash has fully melted. A brick is generally somewhere in between. The honeycomb effect occurs when settled ash (such as in an ash pan) melts on the top, and the melted droplets run down into the colder ash below. The key to preventing ash fusion problems is to keep the temperature of the combustion system below the DT of the ash. Since most biomass combustion systems operate at or below 1,200 C, it is common practice to assess fuels by verifying DT is somewhere above this temperature. Fortunately, slagging/clinkering is generally not an issue with “clean” wood (no bark, sand, dirt or other debris). I am currently unaware of any species of North American tree that, by nature of its mineral uptake, has a DT below 1,200 C. Ash fusion with woody biomass is almost always related to some form of contamination getting into the feedstock material. The same can’t be said for other forms of biomass (nut shells, agricultural grasses, energy crops, etc.). These materials regularly have high ash content, driving up the chance for a low DT. That said, higher ash alone is not a good predictor of whether a particular form of biomass will have problems with

ash fusion. The nature of the mineral composition of the ash is the driving factor. If, for example, the ash is high in calcium, then ash fusion temperatures are generally high. If silica is high, then there is a much greater chance that there will be ash fusion problems, but not always. Silica is interesting in that if it is present as silicon dioxide, then the actual melting temperature is very high (1,710 C). However, like carbon, silica has four active electrons that can bond with other minerals, often resulting in complex silicates that have lower melting points. For this reason, nine times out of 10 when we see ash fusion problems, it is related to silica. There are other minerals can be problematic when elevated, so when struggling with ash fusion issues, a mineral breakdown of the ash is often helpful in finding the source. There are many other factors that can complicate an ash fusion investigation. The

combustion system can be oxygen-rich or oxygen-poor, changing melting point conditions. Biomass can be contaminated with obscure materials (e.g., fertilizer and salts), commonly through the use of unclean transport systems. Contaminants are often intermittent, so testing the next batch of fuel will not necessarily help you figure out what caused the ash fusion problem associated with the prior batch of fuel. All said, if you understand the principles above, you should have a better chance of determining what is causing the ash fusion problem you are dealing with. Author: Chris Wiberg VP of Laboratories, Timber Products Inspection/Biomass Energy Lab cwiberg@tpinspection.com www.tpinspection.com

Feeding, Conveying and Elevating Solutions

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« Spotlight: George K. Moss Co. Inc.

In-House Expertise Born into the boiler and combustion business, David Duffner’s career focus has never been elsewhere. While family-oriented company Duffner Boiler Works was incepted in the 1930s, it was several decades later—in 1979—that Duffner purchased George K. Moss Co. Inc., which he has run for the past 40-plus years. Since its founding in 1958, the company has sold more than 1,800 boiler and combustion systems. “We specialize in combustion chamber and control retrofits,” Duffner says. “We design our own control systems, all the software and technology, so that we can engineer and build a custom fit for any particular project. We make systems more dependable and efficient to meet increasing steam or energy capacities while remaining environmentally sustainable and meeting today's stringent emission requirements.” Primarily doing all its engineering in-house, the Birmingham, Alabama-based company has found additional niches, one being material handling. “Material handling is a big part of our business,” Duffner says. “We do custom design work and have a complete line of material handling conveyors that allow us to provide the best component technology for every application.” Moss can design and fabricate all wood and pellet handling equipment, according to Duffner, including drag chains, screw augers, belt conveyors, bucket elevators, metering bins, wood storage building handling systems, silo and unloader systems, storage tanks and ash handling systems. As of recently, Duffner says, an additional business segment of focus has been torrefaction systems. “We got into torre-

faction because of our experience in wood combustion—it’s a natural fit along with our controls technology and combustion experience. We have developed a system that can be economically retrofitted into existing pellet plants by tying it in with the existing drying process.” An example of a recent project for which Moss has been awarded a contract is the supply of a complete material handling and conveying system for Mission Forest Products, sawmill currently under construction in Corinth, Mississippi. And as for examples of past work, Duffner highlights several completed projects for the U.S. government—the Navy and Coast Guard—the United Nations, and many international clients, including in Guatemala and Vietnam. Duffner stands behind the company’s assurance that components are competitively priced, and emphasizes that Moss’s experience underscores its ability to understand what equipment is required for each unique application. “Customers can also take advantage of our leading-edge technology and training that allows remote software updates, troubleshooting, and programming to get equipment back online as soon as possible when experiencing downtime, while avoiding costly on-site visits,” he says. Moving forward, Duffner adds, the company will place a strong focus on material handling and torrefaction. “We believe this will be a big part of our business,” he says. “And we can do the entire system, a custom design for a new project, or replacing an existing system. We like to say that we find ways to solve problems.”

Moss www.gkmoss.com

205-408-2929

In Business since 1958

Torrefaction Pellet Systems Material Handling & Storage New & Used Wood Boilers Wood Combustion Systems, Controls & Retrofits 24 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2022

« Spotlight: Benetech

Safety by Design New leading-edge technologies in material handling have yielded major improvements in safety while also increasing throughput and enhancing degradation control in the pellet manufacturing industry. In many cases, product degradation not only reduces the value of the final product, but can also contribute significantly to losses in other areas such as maintenance and clean up, component life, and risk to personnel safety in the workplace. Benetech Inc. is committed to total dust management. The Benetech Toolbox offers a combination of leading-edge technologies to provide solutions that ensure safe production. Our approach is to cure the problem at the source, which often requires a combination of technologies. Benetech’s proprietary and complementary technologies ensure our abilities to meet clients’ safety, production, quality and throughput needs. Our global organization consists of a mix of plant professionals, design engineers and service professionals to provide single-source accountability for effective and innovative solutions. Examples of technologies applied to improve operations can be illustrated by recent projects with leading pellet manufacturers. Pellet production can be an inherently dusty operation that uses standard conveyors and transfer chutes. Over time, material buildup on adjacent structures and components can create a dangerous

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situation with a negative effect on conveyor component life, as well as a significant risk of fires and possibly explosions, given the right set of circumstances. Maintenance and housekeeping become a very time-consuming, difficult and dangerous task, coupled with the inherent risks to safety and system performance. Also a factor are regulatory agencies, which can issue citations that are not only costly, but can have production performance implications that must be addressed. Using the MaxZone Plus, proper material flow is accomplished through the entire transfer point, increasing belt life and material throughput. Another important feature of the MaxZone Plus is the side kicker plates and deflector spoon, guiding the material to the center of the conveyor belt. The MaxZone Plus is part of the MaxZone system, designed to control fugitive dust as an essential feature of safety by design.

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2022 Pellet Mill Magazine Issue 1

Articles inside

BENETECH

PROFILE

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT

OPERATIONS