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■ table of contents

www.woodbioenergymag.com

FROM THE EDITORS RIP Zilkha Biomass

IN THE NEWS Drax Buys Out Westervelt

WHAT’S NEXT For Industrial Pellets

DRY END PELLETING & Energy Production Technologies

PRODUCT NEWS Eco-Friendly Paper Production

Cover Photography: This issue is all about industrial wood pellets, from the viability of black pellets versus white, to our fond memories of the Zilkha plant in Selma, Ala. and a product focus section on dry end production; we’ve got it all. (Jessica Johnson photo at Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Entwistle, AB)

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table of contents ■

advertising index Advertiser Index is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

Baker Rullman Manufacturing

920.261.8107

Biomass Engineering & Equipment

317.522.0864

Bliss Industries

580.765.7787

Brunette Machinery

800.686.6679

ExpoBiomasa 2021

+34 975 10 20 20

Fiber Energy

205.969.7129

Hurst Boiler & Welding

877.774.8778

Kesco Solutions

803.802.1718

Metal Detectors

541.345.7454

Mid-South Engineering

501.321.2276

Mailing Address ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Tel: 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834-4525

MoistTech

941.727.1800

Morbark

800.831.0042

Publisher/Adv. Sales Manager ■ David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer ■ Dianne C. Sullivan

Nestec

610.323.7670

Pal S.R.L

+39 0422 852 300

Polytechnik

+43 2672 890 0

Process & Storage Solutions

866.354.7277

Rawlings Manufacturing

866.762.9327

Schaeffer Oil

800.325.9962

Schutte Hammermill

800.447.4634

Stela Laxhuber GmbH

+49 8724 899 0

Volume 13

Number 4

24 Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. Street Address ■ 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317

Editor-in-Chief ■ Rich Donnell Managing Editor ■ Jessica Johnson Senior Editor ■ Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor ■ David Abbott Associate Editor ■ Patrick Dunning Publisher/Editor Emeritus ■ David (DK) Knight Art Director/Production Manager ■ Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator ■ Patti Campbell Circulation Director ■ Rhonda Thomas Online Content/Marketing ■ Jacqlyn Kirkland Advertising Sales North American Sales Representative Susan Windham ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery AL 36102-2268 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834.4525 E-mail: windham.susan4@gmail.com International Sales Murray Brett ■ 58 Aldea De Las Cuevas, Buzon 60 Benedoleig 03759, (Alicante) Espana +34 96 640 4165 ■ Fax: +34 96 640 4048 E-mail: murray.brett.aba@abasol.net Classified Advertising Sales Bridget DeVane ■ Tel: 334.699.7837 ■ 800.669.5613 E-mail: bdevane7@hotmail.com A Hatton-Brown Publication Other Hatton-Brown Publications:

Timber Processing ■ Southern Loggin' Times ■ Timber Harvesting Panel World ■ Power Equipment Trade

Wood Bioenergy (ISSN 1947-5306) is published six times annually by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Wood Bioenergy is free to qualified readers in the United States, including owners, managers, supervisors and other key personnel. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 per year, Canadian subscriptions are $60 and foreign subscription are $95 per year (U.S. funds). Subscriber Inquiries and Back Issue Orders—TOLL-FREE: 800.669.5613. Fax 888.611.4525. Subscribe or renew online: www.woodbioenergymagazine.com and click on the “Subscribe” button. When requesting change of address, please specify both old and new. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices.

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■ from the editors

Enterprises Of Great

Pith And Moment B

y now you’ve probably read about the ongoing bankruptcy sale of the industrial “black” pellet plant that was operated by Zilkha Biomass. Through the years we visited the site, east of Selma, on a northern bend of the Alabama River, not once, but twice. The first time it wasn’t known as Zilkha Biomass, but as Dixie Pellets and was owned by Harbert Management in Birmingham. Our story on Dixie Pellets appeared in the very first issue of Wood Bioenergy in summer 2009. Dixie Pellets was one of the first large scale Southeast U.S. industrial “white” pellet operations shipping pellets to power plants overseas. But it had its problems from the start—fiber processing, product quality, product acceptance, even the depth of the Alabama River. The ownership filed for bankruptcy in spring 2010 and Houston-based Zilkha family purchased the plant at auction, renaming it Zilkha Biomass. To complement the venture, Zilkha built a demonstration plant in Crockett, Texas. It took a while, but come spring 2015, Zilkha Biomass was commissioning a 275,000 metric tons per year facility at Selma, producing “black” pellets as a substitute for coal. It was touted as higher energy value and higher bulk density than white pellets, providing transportation capacity advantages, and it was hydrophobic so you could store it outside. That was when we visited the facility the second time. Zilkha had overhauled much of the former Dixie Pellets plant—new radial chip stacker, new green hammermills, new boilers, new control room and refurbishment of everything else including two rotary dryers and 10 pelletizers. But what made the Zilkha pellet plant unique was its thermal conditioning technology, in which chips filled six reactors, the capping valve was closed and steam was inserted. After some cooking time, the pressure was reduced a little bit, the blow valve at the bottom was opened and the release of the steam pressure blew the

material over into a blow tank cylinder, before the raw material, now with a lignin binder characteristic to it, moved to the dry hammermills and on through the pelletizing process. We enjoyed our visit that day, mainly because Clyde Stearns, the vice president of engineering, escorted us through the plant. We had known Stearns back when he worked for equipment companies in the plywood industry. Tragically, Stearns would be dead in less than a year, dying from an undiagnosed heart condition. We don’t know if the life also went out of the Zilkha black pellet plant, but it went downhill from there, another casualty in the journey to make steam explosion and torrefaction pellets profitable. Zilkha shut down its Crockett demo plant and reportedly moved some of those people to Selma to make the operation a combination production and research facility. But that didn’t work. There was another venture capital company that came along last year and tried to reboot Selma, but then the next thing we heard was that Zilkha Biomass had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and the auction was on. We saw the great effort that went into Zilkha Biomass, and Dixie Pellets, too, for that matter. So we hesitate to say they were failures. They just didn’t pan out.

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■ in the news ReGenerate Purchases Albany Green Energy ReGenerate Energy Holdings, LLC , the recently formed joint venture between Ember Infrastructure and ReEnergy Biomass Operations LLC, has completed the acquisition of Albany Green Energy, a biomass heat-and-power facility located in Albany, Ga. from a subsidiary of Exelon Generation Co. LLC. The Albany Green Energy facility, also known as “AGE,” uses woody biomass from mill residue, forestry waste, recycling and agricultural waste sourced within a 75mile radius of the facility to provide 50 MW of electricity to Georgia

ReEnergy facility at Fort Drum

Power, process steam to the nearby Procter & Gamble paper products facility, and process steam that is used to generate electricity for the nearby U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Base. The facility’s 25 employees will join the ReEnergy team. “We are very pleased to bring Albany Green Energy onto the ReGenerate platform as we continue to build a best-in-class bioenergy business,” comments Elena Savostianova, Managing Partner of Ember. “ReGenerate will leverage the deep expertise and experience of the ReEnergy and Ember teams to manage and optimize this important facility.” With the acquisition, ReGenerate owns 137 MW of operating biomass power generation across three facilities, including ReEnergy Stratton and ReEnergy Livermore Falls, both located in Maine. ReGenerate

plans to continue the expansion of its platform across North America to deliver sustainable bioenergy products to utilities, corporations and other partners. “We particularly look forward to joining the robust bioeconomy in the state of Georgia, where biomass energy is embraced as a key component of the state’s renewable energy portfolio and represents half of its total renewable electricity generation,” says Larry Richardson, CEO of ReEnergy Holdings LLC. “In acquiring Albany Green Energy, we are focused on achieving the high level of safety, environmental, and operating performance that we are proud to have achieved at the other facilities in the ReGenerate and ReEnergy portfolios.” Ember and ReEnergy formed ReGenerate in April 2021. ReEnergy, founded in 2008, is a wholly owned subsidiary of ReEnergy Holdings LLC, which, in addition to the Maine facilities, owns ReEnergy Black River, a 60 MW biomass power facility located on the U.S. Army’s Fort Drum installation near Watertown, NY, and ReSource Waste Services LLC, which operates five facilities in New England that recycle construction and demolition waste materials. Ember, founded in 2018, is a New York-based private equity firm delivering capital solutions to businesses and assets seeking to reduce carbon intensity and enhance resource efficiency. The Albany operation started up in 2017.

Bagasse-Based Pellet Facility Is Possible Delta Biofuel CEO Philip Keating is evaluating Iberia Parish, Louisiana for a $70 million residual sugarcane fiber-based pellet plant. It would create 126 direct jobs in the Acadiana region. Keating says Delta has secured long-term supplies of feedstock bagasse, which can be processed into pellets and used alongside, or in lieu of, industrial wood pellets in

power generation. Bagasse fuel pellets are lower cost alternatives to typical wood pellets, Keating says, and also result in greater reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, or GHGs. The Jeanerette facility would produce up to 300,000 metric tons of bagasse fuel pellets annually. The company would source all excess bagasse from four nearby sugar mills in Iberia, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes. Additionally, Delta has engaged European and Asian energy production facilities for multi-year commitments to purchase the fuel pellets. “Our bagasse pellet manufacturing plant will provide a sustainable, long-term solution for the sugar mills by utilizing all excess bagasse produced each harvest. This will not only reduce cost and liability for the mills, but will eliminate methane emissions from the discarded bagasse that you can see in huge piles around the state,” Keating says. “We see Louisiana and its sugar industry as a terrific and reliable source of biomass for alternative fuel production.” The company plans to locate the greenfield facility on 16 acres near U.S. Highway 90 in Jeanerette, near one of its bagasse suppliers, Enterprise Sugar Mill. Groundwork for the facility would begin this September with completion expected in September 2022. Founded in 2019, Delta Biofuel is a whollyowned startup within Tasso Renewable Energy. Louisiana Economic Development first began working with the company in December 2020. To secure the pellet plant in Jeanerette, the state offered Delta a competitive incentive package that includes the services of LED FastStart —a workforce development program. The package also includes a performance-based grant of $1 million as a reimbursement for infrastructure improvement expenditures, subject to the company reaching specified investment and payroll benchmarks. “This announcement is an exciting one for the Acadiana region,” says One Acadiana President &

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in the news ■

CEO Troy Wayman. “We look forward to welcoming Delta Biofuel’s operations to Iberia Parish as they make a great impact on the agribusiness industries of Iberia, St. Mary, St. Martin and beyond. Congratulations to our partners in Iberia Parish on this great success.”

Drax Satellite Mills Go With BE&E Drax Group has chosen Biomass Engineering & Equipment to supply material handling, layout engineering, and mechanical installation for its three recently announced pellet plants in Arkansas. BE&E will manufacture bulk receiving bins, disc screeners, SMART conveyors, SMART containers and covered pellet load-out stations. Also included in BE&E’s scope is the procurement of dust control systems and pellet silos. The three plants are each ex-

pected to produce 120,000 tonnes of pellets per year from sawmill residues, supporting Drax’s plans to increase self-supply for its power station in the UK. Drax uses biomass to generate low-carbon renewable electricity at its power station in North Yorkshire. Rendering of a satellite mill Drax Biomass plans to Construction has build in the U.S. Southeast. Biomass Engineering & begun on the first of Equipment designed the layout and is supplying mathese plants, and comterial handling systems. missioning is expected BE&E President and CEO Dane in October. Floyd comments, “This has been an “BE&E has been very accommoexciting opportunity to demonstrate dating to the design process,” says our capabilities and expertise. The Craig Beckham, PE with Hunt, team we’ve gathered to take on Guillot & Associates, who worked on the project with BE&E. “The projects of this scale is unmatched in the industry, and we’re confident (BE&E) equipment is versatile and Drax will benefit from our work. easily adjustable in length and orientation. It accommodates the fit We look forward to future opportuand layout design you need.” nities for turnkey pellet plants.”

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■ in the news Senators Urge EPA To Get With Biomass U.S. Senators Susan Collins (RME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) have written a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to urge the Biden administration to address languishing biomass applications under the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program. The letter was co-signed by senators Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (DNH), Tammy Baldwin (R-WI) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). Allowing renewable electricity made from biomass to qualify for the RFS program if it is used to power electric vehicles would level the playing field among fuel sources. It would also enable biomass power plants to generate and sell credits under the RFS program to refiners that must meet national renewable fuel targets, according to the participants. “Farmers, foresters, local governments and small business owners nationwide have been adversely impacted by the inability to participate in the RFS due to agency inaction on renewable facility registration applications involving approved fuel pathways and petitions for approval of additional fuel pathways,” the senators wrote. “Biogas, biomass and waste-to-energy electricity producers need the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action to approve their participation in this important program,” the letter says. The senators underscored that the production of cellulosic biofuel electricity from RFS-approved feedstocks helps drive the growth and development of sustainable agriculture, forestry and the rural economy, and it supports the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The lawmakers urged the EPA Administrator to make addressing the obstacles that limit biomass power generation and forest-based industries a top priority. The senators’ bipartisan letter mirrors concerns shared by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to address

the backlog of advanced biofuel registrations to allow more fuel producers to participate in the RFS. The senators concluded their letter, “Approving these backlogged applications and petitions, which the EPA has existing authority to do, will help the U.S. advance its clean energy goals while supporting local economies in rural America.”

Community Awards Enviva’s Local Impact Enviva, the world’s leading producer of industrial wood pellets, has received the Northampton County Chamber of Commerce’s Corporate Business of the Year award. Enviva was selected for its commitment to manufacturing excellence, its outstanding community outreach, along with its support of several existing educational and non-profit partnerships within the region. Over the last year Enviva has sponsored and supported several county initiatives including the new Northampton Career and Technical Academy of Innovation, which is slated to open later this fall; the Halifax Community College’s Foundation, which supports student scholarships; and the construction of Northampton County’s new walking trail and playground in Rich Square, which will provide local residents an inclusive community place to enjoy and recreate outdoors. “Enviva has been a staple of this community since they began their operations here in 2013 and we are honored to present them with this award,” says Judy Collier, Executive Director of the Northampton, North Carolina Chamber of Commerce. In Northampton County, Enviva employs 97 full-time workers and has invested close to $200 million in the Northampton pellet plant.

Greenvolt Buys Tilbury Power Plant Altri reported its wholly-owned unit, Greenvolt, has reached an agreement, together with funds

managed by the Equitix Group, for the acquisition of Tilbury Green Power Holdings LTD for 246.5 million pounds. Ownership will be 51% to Greenvolt and 49% to the funds managed by Equitix. Tilbury’s 43.6 MW biomass power plant is located in the Port of Tilbury, UK.

Drax Sharpens Focus On Carbon Capture Drax Group and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, Ltd., part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, have reportedly agreed to a long-term contract for Drax to use MHI’s carbon capture technology, the Advanced KM CDR process, in what would be the largest deployment of negative emissions in power generation anywhere in the world.

Left to right, Kentaro Hosomi, Chief Regional Officer EMEA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI); Carl Clayton, Head of BECCS, Drax Group; Jenny Blyth, Project Analyst, Drax Group, Drax Power Station, North Yorkshire

The contract will see Drax license MHI’s carbon capture solvent, KS-21, to capture CO2 at its power station near Selby, North Yorkshire, UK. Drax is already the largest decarbonization project in Europe, having converted its power station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, reducing its emissions by more than 85%. By deploying BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) technology, Drax aims to go further, becoming

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in the news ■

carbon negative by 2030. The first BECCS unit at Drax could be operational as soon as 2027, supporting thousands of jobs across the North of England as soon as 2024, and capturing and storing at least 8 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030. Drax is the first company to sign a contract to deploy carbon capture technology at scale in the UK. The project combines MHI’s proven and world-leading technology with offshore geological storage under the North Sea, helping the UK achieve its target to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035. As part of the agreement, MHI plans to locate its core CCS team at the company’s European headquarters in London. MHI is also looking at ways to strengthen its supply chain, including the potential production of its proprietary solvent in the UK. Drax has already successfully trialed MHI’s carbon capture technology in a pilot that started in 2020 to test two of MHI’s proprietary solvents (KS-1 and KS-21). l Drax also announced it has entered into a partnership with Bechtel to identify opportunities to construct new BECCS power plants around the world. Bechtel is a leader in engineering, construction and project management. Bechtel will focus its study on strategically important regions for BECCS plants, including North America and Western Europe, as well as reviewing how to optimize the design of a BECCS plant using state-of-the-art engineering to maximize efficiency, performance and cost.

fuel to PacifiCorp’s Hunter Valley power plant in Castle Dale, Utah were commencing for use in a testing program. The CoalSwitch production at Ashland is part of the joint venture between AEG and Player Design Inc,. The Ashland facility was granted an initial permit for the production

of 1,000 tons of CoalSwitch. Emissions data will be supplied to the state of Maine for analysis. The facility will then apply to the state to extend the terms of the permit to enable the facility to expand production to up to 35,000 tonnes of CoalSwitch per year. CoalSwitch is a “drop-in” bio-

Joint Venture Gets CoalSwitch Going Active Energy, a London, UK based biomass renewable energy business, reports that production of its CoalSwitch product has commenced at its facility in Ashland, Maine, following the rapid construction of the 5 tonne per hour production facility. Deliveries of the first CoalSwitch

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■ in the news

mass feedstock that can co-fire with coal or replace up to 100% of the coal in power stations without requiring plant modification, according to AEG. AEG’s technology converts residuals from lumber operations as well as residuals from forestry operations into CoalSwitch, which burns at temperatures nearly identical to coal, but cleaner and more efficiently while producing less ash. PacifiCorp is the largest grid operator in the Western U.S., serving energy demands of 1.9 million customers. Active Energy Group is also developing a commercial production facility in Lumberton, NC.

New OSB Facility Coming To Minnesota Huber Engineered Woods LLC (HEW), a subsidiary of J.M. Huber Corp., announced it will build a new

oriented strandboard (OSB) facility in Cohasset, Minn. The manufacturing facility is projected to provide more than 150 direct new jobs, while contributing growth opportunities in adjacent local industries including timber and trucking. The new HEW manufacturing facility will be located on more than 400 acres and will feature some of the most advanced processes and technologies available.

Endowment Launches TimberHauling.com U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities announced the official launch of TimberHauling.com, a national buyers’ group that provides savings on products and services to nearly 10,000 independent small trucking and hauling businesses. The TimberHauling.com platform will help the sector move together as a unified market rather than thou-

sands of independent producers. The timber harvest and hauling sector of the forestry industry is the strained link in the U.S.-based forest products value chain. This sector is continually dealing with a range of challenges, including inclement weather, mill quotas, labor shortages, high fuel and insurance costs, and high equipment costs—both upfront and ongoing. For a modest annual membership fee, members enjoy discounts and savings on parts and services. TimberHauling.com gives loggers national buying power and strength they have never had to shore up and further unify the sector. “The Endowment focuses on opportunities when others can’t or won’t,” according to Ewell Smith, Executive Director of the Carolina Loggers Assn. (CLA). “Developing a national platform that will save money for independent loggers and haulers will make them more cost-

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in the news ■

competitive and efficient.” This group also strengthens the capacity of state and regional associations to deliver services. The program is being piloted first in partnership with state logging associations in North Carolina (CLA), South Carolina (South Carolina Timber Producers Assn.), and Virginia (Virginia Loggers Assn.). “The Endowment is using our sector-wide vision, risk capital, and bridge-building competencies to build an ‘Amazon-like’ model to drive savings to individual timber hauling firms,” says Pete Madden, President & CEO of the Endowment. “TimberHauling.com is part of our Initiative 2020 Vision that mandates strategic and targeted investments to support the development of traditional forest products markets to retain and grow existing forest-based economies.” A variety of companies have already joined the platform: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; MHC Kenworth; Setliff Law P.C.; Schwab Brothers Hydraulics; TCS Fuel Cards; North American Supply; and Cadence Petroleum Group. More companies and services are expected to be added as TimberHauling.com grows. Currently, TimberHauling.com is

offering a free six-month “test drive” membership that can offer cost savings on hoses, tires, equipment, legal expenses, oil and fuel. Visit timberhauling.com and click on the pricing tab to learn more.

Forest Service Names Moore As Chief Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that Randy Moore will serve as the 20th Chief of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service. Moore will serve as the first African American to hold the role of Chief of the Forest Service. Current Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen is retiring and will collaborate with Moore on the leadership transition. Moore has been serving as Regional Forester in the Pacific Southwest Region in California since 2007 where he has responsibility for 18 national forests, covering one-fifth of the state on 20 million acres. Additionally, he oversees State and Private Forestry programs in Hawaii and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands. Previously Moore served as the Regional Forester for the Eastern Region. More in the news ➤ 22

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■ pellets 2.0

Lowering The Barriers

Pellets Version 2.0

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pellets 2.0 ■

By William Strauss and Laurenz Schmidt

ersion 1.0 of wood pellets, i.e., so-called “white” pellets, has been unchanged for decades. While the manufacturing of pellets has experienced incremental improvements that yield better process reliability, better product consistency, improved plant safety, and lower conversion costs per tonne, the final product is essentially the same today as it was 40 years ago. This is surprising because white pellets have several inherent challenges that have to be managed for them to be used as a low-carbon fuel in large utility power

stations. At the top of the list is their inability to withstand exposure to water. They also create fines when handled at every stage in the supply chain, often producing highly explosive dust. The 23 million metric tons of industrial white wood pellets that will be transported in 2021 need to be kept dry and require robust dust management (aspiration and filtration) systems when handled. These challenges are mitigated with significant capital costs along the supply chain. The exporting port has to have covered storage with sufficient volume to store

Manufacturing plants all over the world are already producing a refined renewable low-carbon solid fuel that can replace coal as part of the decarbonization of the power sector. the equivalent of a shipload. The power stations have had to build large fuel storage domes or silos. The costs of this dry storage infrastructure are significant. It contributes to about half of the total cost of the plant modifications needed to switch from coal to pellet fuel at the power station. The promise of more advanced pellets has been around for at least two decades. So-called “black” pellets that do not lose their integrity when exposed to water have not, to date, gained significant market share. This is despite other added advantages of black pellets. They have a higher bulk and energy density and thus are closer to coal in terms of gigajoules per tonne (GJ/t). Both their volumetric and gravimetric energy densities are higher than those of white pellets. More energy per cubic meter results in lower logistics cost per delivered GJ. They are harder and more brittle, resulting in better compatibility with the fuel pulverizers at the power station. Higher bulk and energy density and better grindability result in the need for fewer modifications to the fuel feeding and burner systems of the coal-fueled power station in order for pellet fuel to substitute for coal. Black pellets promise to eliminate the need for dry storage at both the exporting port and at the power plant, lower logistics costs per delivered unit of energy, and lower the modification costs at the power station.

Two Approaches Over the past few decades, two primary technological pathways to advanced black pellets have been followed: (1) torrefaction and (2) steam explosion (SE). The torrefaction pathway has been more popular but has also resulted in a history littered with failed projects. There are two primary reasons for the torrefaction project failures.

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Black pellets promise to eliminate the need for dry storage at both the exporting port and at the power plant, lower logistics costs per delivered unit of energy, and lower the modification costs at the power station.

First, some of the torrefaction systems were unable to meet expected operational levels (output, consistency of product, operating/maintenance costs, and safety). Some torrefied pellets did not offer the advantages of water resistance and/or low dust creation in handling. That history of failures may change as there are currently several torrefaction projects around the world that may overcome these challenges. The SE pathway has not seen a history of project failures due to shortcoming in operational reliability or in the characteristics of the final product. The SE process yields pellets that can be reliably and safely produced, are water resistant, and are brittle. SE pellets produce very little dust when handled and they grind easily in the power plant’s pulverizing mills. But the second and universally common reason for both SE and torrefied pellets failing to take market share from white pellets has been that the total costs to produce black pellets has resulted in an inability to compete on the price of delivered energy ($/GJ) with white pellets. Generally, SE projects have the same challenge as torrefaction projects in terms of offering a pellet at a competitive price. The primary cost challenge with black pellets is that there is a significant loss of solid mass during the thermal reactions resulting in an energy loss from the initial calorific value of the dry feedstock. Whereas with white pellets, every dry tonne of wood fiber that is fed into the manufacturing process becomes pellet fuel, the thermal treatments of the wood fiber cause some of its solid constituents to become gasses. As a result, the output tonnage of solids on a dry basis (pellets) is less than the input tonnage on a dry basis (wood fiber). The reaction gas contains potential energy which is removed from the solids that become pellets. Thus, the output GJ of the solids (eventually pellets) is lower

than the input GJ. These factors raise the “cost of goods” of black pellets versus white pellets by amounts that are related to the mass and energy loss percentages (mass loss for torrefaction varies by technologies and by the operating temperature of the reactor and the residency time of the wood in the reactor. On average the solid mass loss is about 25%. For SE the solid mass loss is about 13%. The corresponding energy losses are 10-12% and 5-6%, respectively). In a torrefaction pellet manufacturing plant, the gas is commonly combusted and used as fuel for heat energy. While there is value in using the gas for heat energy (essentially the avoided cost of fuel for the dryer and/or the torrefaction reactor), it is a low value compared to the market price of pellet energy. In SE the mass loss is a mix of volatile compounds that, instead of existing as hot gases, are entrained in the steam and subsequent aqueous condensate. That condensate has traditionally been sent to a wastewater treatment system to digest the biochemicals and purify the water for discharge. Some methane is produced and used to supplement dryer fuel. While the mass loss is lower with SE versus torrefaction, the net cost of wastewater treatment is added to the handicap of the increased wood cost per tonne of SE pellets versus white pellets. Black pellets may be able to be priced at a modest premium over white pellets as the cost of using them is lower than with white pellets. There is some moderate monetary benefit to improved logistics costs. Also, avoiding the need to construct dry storage solutions removes a significant capital expense (CAPEX) for future power plant conversions to pellet fuel. However, power plants currently using white pellets have already sunk the cost into the dry storage solution and thus have no CAPEX benefit. In general, the monetary value to the end user of the benefits of black pellets has not been sufficient to justify their use over white pellets at the

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pellets 2.0 ■

price needed by the black pellet producer to support a profitable black pellet factory. There are some exceptions. Where the end-user can afford higher cost black pellet fuel, SE or torrefied pellets may be preferred. But over the years, for the reasons outlined above, both torrefaction and SE not been able to break through to produce pellets 2.0 in any significant volumes for the power generation sector.

Value From Loss There is a solution to the solid mass loss and energy loss cost disadvantage—gain value from the mass loss. The compounds produced in both the SE and torrefaction reactions have a market value that is much greater than the calorific value when they are used as fuel for dryer heat. Super-peaking power plants that operate at low capacity factors are well suited for higher cost fuel. They typically operate when power prices are high. Also, because they produce far fewer MWh’s per year, if they invest in dry storage, the amortized CAPEX burden is much higher per MWh. The Ontario Power Generation station in Thunder Bay Ontario ran exclusively on SE pellets for many years until its retirement. That plant ran on average only about 10 days per year. District heating systems that use coal that are decarbonizing may benefit from black versus white pellets. As has been proven at scale, off-the-shelf technology can extract the valuable biochemicals from the SE reaction’s condensate. The ~13% solids mass loss from the SE process is primarily converted to acetic acid, formic acid, methanol, acetone and, most importantly, furfural. These compounds are entrained in the steam after the thermal treatment. The steam is condensed, and the condensate is sent to a distillation system that removes furfural, and smaller amounts of methane and acetone. The acetic and formic acids are not economical to recover and are digested to produce biomethane for heat. The heat of condensation is recycled back to the pre-dryer. Furfural is a highvalue green chemical that has many uses and sells in the range of $1,700 to $2,300 per metric ton. Furfural is a globally traded commodity with a robust CAGR expected. Currently China is the major exporter of furfural produced from agricultural residues.

For an SE plant that produces 184,000 tonnes per year of pellets, the expected annual furfural yield is about 1,960 tonnes. Assuming an FOB price of

$1,800/tonne for the furfural, the net result is the equivalent of an additional $17.90 net contribution per tonne of SE pellets produced. The time, pressure and temperature of the steam treatment can be altered to maximize furfural production if higher furfural yield optimizes net cash flows. The hydrolyzation of the hemicellulose in the woody feedstock into sugars and subsequent thermal dehydration of the sugars is what produces the furfural during the thermal treatment. The conversion of the hemicellulose in the wood fiber leaves behind solids (cellulose and lignin) that are more hydrophobic than those composed of non-thermally treated wood. In theory, torrefaction gasses can also be processed to yield furfural. Torrefaction is a dry process. Most of the water contained in the green feedstock has been evaporated in the dryer prior to the torrefaction reactor. Thus, the hemicellulose may hydrolyze into sugars to a lesser degree and not yield as much furfural as the SE process does. However, to date FutureMetrics has not found any historical or current torrefaction project that does employ biochemical production. It may or may not be economical to extract biochemicals from torrefaction gas. Torrefaction gasses, when relatively cool, condense into viscous tars that may complicate the process.

In Summary Manufacturing plants all over the world are already producing a refined renewable low-carbon solid fuel that can replace coal as part of the decarbonization of the power sector. In 2021 about 23.3 million tonnes of white pellets will be used. Robust future growth will, in part, depend on lowering the cost of both the power station modifications and the fuel itself. Advanced thermally treated pellets can offer characteristics that significantly lower the capital cost and the time needed to modify an existing pulverized coal power station. With biochemical extraction, the heretofore solids mass loss handicap is eliminated. The net value added from the biochemical offtake agreement can allow the black pellets to be competitively priced while still producing a competitive return to the investors and operators. Enhancing this scenario are the potentials of optional biochemical production from other feedstocks. For example, feedstocks with higher natural sugar content, such as sugarcane bagasse, may yield higher furfural production. Perhaps it is time for pellets version 2.0 to break through! William Strauss is President of FutureMetrics, and Laurenz Schmidt is Senior Technologist at FutureMetrics. Sources and more data for this article, as well as detailed studies on torrefaction and SE are available from FutureMetrics by emailing info@futuremetrics.com and visiting futuremetrics.info.

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■ dry end pelleting & energy production

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies submitted these editorial profiles and images to complement their advertisements placed elsewhere in this issue. All statements and claims are attributable to the companies.

BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT

the team behind it. Every member of the sales and support team has years of experience in wood industries and understands the challenges their customers face. It’s this knowledge that allows BE&E to provide solutions that work well and that serve its customers well in the long run.

BLISS INDUSTRIES

As the pellet industry has grown, so have the demands on material handling systems. Old technologies no longer suffice in a market where efficiency reigns and even short disruptions can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet options available to manufacturers are by and large little different than a century ago. It is this deficiency that Biomass Engineering & Equipment (BE&E) sought to address when it launched in 2011. A decade later, BE&E is fast becoming the premier supplier of bulk-handling equipment for the biomass industry with installations around the globe. Discontent with the status quo, BE&E has engineered machines designed to address challenges associated with handling biomass. Chief among its solutions are SMART Conveyors. The conveyors’ unique design reduces wear and friction to effectively lower the costs of ownership by decreasing maintenance and unscheduled downtime. The machines’ modular construction further reduces costs by speeding build time. SMART Conveyors come in three standard heights and in widths ranging from 18 to 72 in. Also popular in the company’s lineup is its SMART Floor, a push-pull system for reclaiming bulk materials. The floor provides first-in, first-out performance and delivers superior material control compared to chain floor and moving floor reclaim devices. Other equipment BE&E offers includes metering bins, surge bins, screw feeders, trailer load-out stations, and SMART Containers—stackable, modular storage units that feature the company’s push-pull floor system. All BE&E equipment is available with NFPA-compliant safety features. BE&E’s innovative designs have won attention from manufacturers across the globe. Pellet customers include LJR Forest Products, Drax Biomass and Pacific Bioenergy, whom have either repeated orders or have ordered BE&E’s equipment for multiple sites. Outside the pellet industry, BE&E has supplied companies like Telfair Forest Products and Arauco, which have ordered SMART Conveyors time and again. BE&E’s success is due not only to its equipment but

Bliss Industries, founded in 1981, is a U.S. manufacturer of robust wood reduction and pelleting equipment. We have always worked closely with our customers from testing their products in our lab and sizing equipment to providing quality manufacturing and service. l Hammermills: Bliss Industries manufactures a comprehensive line of hammermills for grinding everything from bark to wood flours. Our hammermill line consists of nine different diameters, 12 different widths and five individually distinct designs. Horsepower range is from 500 to 600, which makes it easy to find the correct mill for your application. l Pellet Mills: We offer a variety of models ranging from 21 in. diameter dies to 34 in. diameter dies. Our 3roll design along with the feed cone system delivers even striations throughout the body of the pellet. Resulting in uniform wear within the pelleting chamber and a high quality finished product. Our two-stage twin drive offers greater flexibility and allows for lower electrical demand at start-up. This along with a host of other user friendly features makes Bliss the obvious choice. l Coolers: Visit with us about the circular solution to counterflow cooling. The Bliss OP><FLO Cooler incorporates a well-engineered design for a high degree of quality production, low maintenance and minimal down time. l Testing Facility: Our new state-of-the-art testing center is ready for all of your testing needs. We offer material testing and analysis for all pelleting and size reduction projects. With years of testing experience, our engineers can help analyze the results and offer suggestions as to the proper equipment required for your application. l OEM Parts: Contact our office for original manufactured parts for your Bliss equipment, for a quick turnaround.

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dry end pelleting & energy production ■

HURST BOILER

KESCO

Hurst direct-fire burner systems are industrial grade wood fired burners with the Hurst “clean burn” stoker design. Modular packages available from 5 MMBTU/HR to 250 MMBTU/HR, with operating temperature ranges from 200°F to 2000°F, these proven solid fuel burner systems are a leading choice in lumber dry kilns, boiler applications, oil heaters, rotary dryers, brick kilns and more. Hurst manufactures seven different types of biomass stoker/gasifiers, which have used 2,000+ different types of biomass fuels. With installations across all industries worldwide, Hurst is recognized for the highest code standards, innovative engineering and design, Energy Star rating, and renewable, sustainable solutions for green building design and operational efficiency. The Hurst Stag systems are a culmination of experience and knowledge of material handling, solid fuel combustion, and controls integration that offers a quality solution for most air heating applications. We are providing our customers the ability to economically and efficiently satisfy their air heating requirements by utilizing readily available waste as a fuel source in lieu of the expensive conventional sources. Hurst delivers the quality and performance that customers expect in a custom engineered solution to reduce operating expenses and maximize productivity. l Biomasster Stag control system developed for the direct fired burner: This computer based, data driven smart monitoring and control system is designed for the optimal clean combustion and operation of the direct fired burner system; and offers real-time modulation while also reducing dirty flue-gas residue and hot ash carry-over issues. Hurst offers a selection of equipment to meet various needs inside a facility, including rotary dryers, sand dryers, grain dryers, lumber kilns, cement kilns and brick kilns. Hurst equipment features a totally automated system; superior refractory material; automatic ash removal system (both wet and dry systems); ash sifting hoppers, and unique wall/grate interlocking discourages internal fuel leakage. The reciprocating grate design offers a complete burn with automatic dust-free wet ash removal system, while the modular packaged design means low cost project installation. Hurst Boiler is a leader in the development of boiler technology as well as sustainable solutions for renewable energy.

KESCO specializes in system design, equipment supply, project and construction management, commissioning, and after-sale service to the biomass and wood pellet industries. We have worked with our team of strategic partners for 20 years—each of our strategic partners are leaders in their respective fields. KESCO provides direct access to these manufacturers without having to deal with a third-party engineering firm. We utilize the engineering resources of each manufacturer, communicating directly with one another, to develop the most efficient system. KESCO Engineering operates as the system integrator, making these direct connections seamless. We bring in outside engineering firms for structural, civil and environmental work. KESCO handles the process design. This direct access to real-life solutions saves the customer months of delay and hundreds of thousands of dollars in boiler-plate nonsense. KESCO’s strategic partners include: l Bliss Industries LLC: Hammermills, pellet mills, pellet coolers, shredders, rotary feeders, roller mills, and impact mills l Rapat Corp.: Belt conveyors, drag conveyors, bucket elevators, structural steel towers, support bents, truss, walkway, and chute work l WAM, Inc.: Screw conveyors, multi-screw feed bins, shaftless screws, super sack loading and unloading systems, retractable loading spouts, and vibratory bin bottoms l Tarsco Bolted Tank: Epoxy-coated bolted tanks, stainless steel bolted tanks, firewater tanks, structural steel supports, and installation crews with outstanding safety records l Puritan Magnetics, Inc.: Rotary drum magnets, drawer magnets, grate magnets, plate magnets, spout magnets, hump magnets, air-vey magnets, suspended belt magnets, head pulley magnets, liquid trap magnets, and customized magnetic systems l CV Technology, Inc.: Explosion vents, flameless vents, pressure detection, chemical suppression and isolation, pinch isolation valves, flap isolation valve, slide gate isolation valve, infrared detection, water mist sup-

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■ dry end pelleting & energy production

pression, and gas detection l Kice Industries, Inc.: Dust collectors, cyclone collectors, airlock valves, centrifugal fans, PD blowers, multi-aspirators, diverter valves, slide gates, plus Rockwell Automation as a strategic partner KESCO has partnered with these companies to provide complete wood pelleting plants while supplying portions of the process throughout North America. KESCO and our strategic partners have developed the expertise necessary to deliver a reliable, robust, and efficient turnkey solution. Put a KESCO solution to work for you. Experience matters!

PAL

Founded in 1978, the Italian company PAL has been market leader for almost 40 years in wood preparation and cleaning for the production of wood based products. Relying on its experience, on a highly-skilled, inhouse technical team and a staff of more than 140 employees, PAL is able to supply engineering and machinery for the construction of complete plants tailored to suit a client’s requirements. Combining experience and most importantly feedback from our customers, we had understood that pelleting was searching for significant improvements and innovations in the design: With this in mind our engineers set out to develop a family of pellet presses, specifically designed for processing wood fibers, that would raise the bar and meet the expectations of the pellet manufacturing industry. This was achieved some time ago and given the product name of Dyna Pellet Press. Following the introduction of the Dyna Pellet Press into the manufacturing environment, the achieved performances are exactly accordance with our technical expectations some of which were to eliminate, as much as possible, any elastic instability or flexibility in the cinematic chain composed by shaft-supports for the rolls was the right approach for introducing something new in the market; and make the biggest pellet press (for now!) with a 1.2 m die diameter, that is performing

more than 12 t/h with softwood and 10 t/h with hardwood, driven by a frequency converter at lower Hz value than the nominal one. Where others have failed we have succeeded in producing quality pellets in the most difficult circumstances, given the robust design and strength of all the critical components, regardless of the input fiber—for example the pelletization of torrified bagasse. l Pallet blocks and pelleting, new project for BSC: The project is a combined plant where two lines, one for the production of pellets and one for the production of pallet blocks, utilize the same material preparation machinery. To have satisfied customers fills us with pride and it is great to feel part of their growth. l Hanwha, Korea’s largest pellet plant: At the end of 2020, a new 320,000 tonnes per year wood pellet plant entered into operations in Goseong-gun, Gyeongnam, South Korea. Not only is the SY Porto facility the largest to date in the country, it is the largest pellet plant project manufactured and supplied by the IMAL-PAL Group. The new pellet plant has been commissioned by plant manufacturer Hanwha Corp. Machinery, a member of the Hanwha Group, which carried out the entire process from planning to handover of the project to the final customer, SY Porto Co. Ltd, a Shinyoung E&P Co. Ltd company. South Korea’s largest, and one of southeast Asia’s larger wood pellet plants, it is the third plant for Shinyoung and represents a doubling of production capacity for the company. l Desmet: At present, the line in France is 20 t/hour of torreified pellets; we supplied a reception, preparation and cleaning area, including a turnkey electrical system. l Arbaflame: In Norway, you find our wood chip refining area, plus the entire pelleting area that includes storage silos, conveyor belts, press, cooler, pellet storage and truck unloading.

POLYTECHNIK Polytechnik sets a new milestone in New Zealand—among the best providers in technology and price, Polytechnik has new biomass boilers with an output of 15.6 MWth, which are earthquake-proofed for the affected area in Christchurch, NZ. The Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw, came to look at the new energy center, and said: “These new woody biomass boilers are really going to help us in terms of reducing our emissions. It will be great when we can decommission the current coal-fired boilers.” The biomass plant will be finished in Autumn 2021.

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■ in the news Drax Purchases Westervelt’s Share Drax is acquiring Westervelt’s 20% minority interest in Alabama Pellets, LLC—the joint venture that owns the pellet plants in Demopolis and Aliceville, Ala.—for $29.7 million. The acquisition increases Drax’s interest in Alabama Pellets to 90% and provides Drax with economic control over a further 130,000 tonnes of pellet production capacity per year. Drax gained majority control of the two pellet plants when it purchased Pinnacle Renewable Energy earlier this year. Westervelt, which had originally built the Aliceville plant, and subsequently sold the majority control of it to Pinnacle, ultimately maintained a 20% arrangement with Pinnacle in both the Aliceville and Demopolis plants, which carried over when Drax purchased Pinnacle. Drax has been in discussions with Alabama Pellets joint venture partners regarding future working relationships, including their minority interests. The remaining joint venture partner, Two Rivers Lumber Co., LLC, still holds a 10% economic interest. Demopolis and Aliceville have a combined nameplate production capacity of 660,000 tonnes per year. Aliceville was commissioned in 2018 and Demopolis (which was constructed by Pinnalce), is expected to be commissioned in 2021. Drax Group has 13 operational pellet plants (including Aliceville) plus satellite plant developments and the Demopolis startup, which will ultimately give Drax a nameplate production capacity of 4.9 million tonnes per year.

Arbaflame Says It’s Ready To Roll Arbaflame reports it is ready to start up the company’s first commercial full-scale factory in Kongsvinger, Norway. Arbaflame has developed patented wood pel-

lets which it says will replace coal and cut CO2 emissions by 90%. In addition, it will produce valuable biochemicals. “We have global growth ambitions that represent a major industrial investment in a Norwegian perspective. Our goal is to build a large Norwegian industrial company—step by step—that will replace parts of today’s coal power production,” says Bjørn Halvard Knappskog, CEO of Arbaflame. The Norwegian company was founded in 2005 and has developed technology that recycles biowaste from sustainable forestry to renewable energy. By replacing coal with wood pellets, CO2 emissions can be cut by 90% in addition to supplying biochemicals as a byproduct such as bioplastics, proteins and dyes. The first factory has a production capacity of 1,500 tonnes of biochemicals in addition to 70,000 tonnes of pellets. With a possible global market of more than 7 billion tonnes of coal per year, Arbaflame plans to build a number of new factories, either alone or with partners. “The completion of our first full-scale factory, which is based on more than 10 years of research, development and testing, is a major milestone for us at Arbaflame,” Knappskog adds. “We are looking forward to getting started with commercial production in Kongsvinger and to distributing the first deliveries of environmentally friendly wood pellets to Power Plant Rotterdam. It is a victory for the Norwegian forest industry and its renewable goals that, with Norwegian feedstock produced at our new factory, the coal plant in Rotterdam can reduce its emissions by approximately 140,000 tonnes a year.” Arbaflame’s pellets are called ArbaCore and have been tested and verified at 15 energy plants operated by nine different companies in Europe, Japan, the USA and Canada. ArbaCore will be a full-fledged green coal substitute. The pellets have virtually the

same properties as coal, are waterresistant and have high energy density. The special properties mean that the cost of converting the coal power plant is significantly reduced.

SFI Grants Focus On Partnerships Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced 13 SFI Community Grants featuring collaboration between 63 partner organizations. SFI Community Grants make a meaningful impact in the communities that live and work near forests. This year’s grants support SFI’s mission of advancing sustainability through forest-focused collaboration by addressing relevant challenges facing communities. The grants address key themes across SFI’s work including urban and community forestry, forest literacy and education, building a diverse and resilient workforce, promoting Indigenous forest stewardship, and connecting communities to conservation. Some of the grant highlights include: l Michigan State University Dept. of Forestry will expand course content on forest carbon to create case-study-based materials for foresters, planners, builders, and decision-makers in cities and municipalities. l Waukesha County, Wisconsin, is completing its urban forest management plans for wood that must be removed due to disease, pests, or other circumstances. l The New Hampshire SFI Implementation Committee is bringing teachers together for a four-day workshop featuring forest and mill tours in July. l Students at the University of Miami School of Architecture will experience timber harvesting in a sustainably managed forest. l Ducks Unlimited Canada will provide training and resources to forestry students and Indigenous communities across Alberta to ensure better understanding of the role

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in the news ■

of sustainable forest management in effective wetland conservation. l Clemson University is helping to address the future that women landowners will play in sustainable forest management through the Women Owning Woodlands (WOW) network, which will facilitate specific skills development for women landowners including chain saw and pesticide safety.

GreenWood Names Head Of Timberland GreenWood Resources has appointed Chris Lipton as Head of Timberland Investment. Based in Portland, Ore., Lipton will oversee a team of 200 employees in 10 countries and will be responsible for GreenWood’s investment platform and operations. He will also develop the company’s future strategy for timberland development.

GreenWood is one of the top 10 managers of timberland globally with more than 741,000 acres across all assets and $1.7 billion of assets under management. Lipton joins GreenWood from Hancock Natural Resource Group, where he was managing director for Timberland Mergers & Acquisitions. Previously, Lipton held senior positions at BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group and Longview Timber Corp., where he developed extensive experience leading all phases of timberland transactions and operations throughout North America, South America and Australasia.

ALC Names Dane As Executive Director Scott Dane is the new Executive Director for the American Loggers Council (ALC), replacing retiring Danny Dructor, who has been with

ALC since July 2001. Dane brings with him a vast amount of experience working with timber harvesting and timber hauling associations, having been the executive director for the Associated Contract Loggers and Truckers of Minnesota for the past 17 years. Dane, who spoke at the Republican National Convention last summer, has experience in both the state and national levels in issues impacting timber harvesting and timber hauling. Dane has been a critical component of the ALC’s work to gain financial assistance for those businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also been involved in legislation allowing state legal weight tolerances on the Federal Interstate Highway System and other ALC initiatives like the Future Careers in Logging Act. The ALC office is relocating from Texas to Minnesota.

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■ product news HoSt Reveals New Bioenergy Plant HoSt reports it has succeeded, after a decade of research, development and innovation, in developing a high-tech bioenergy plant with highly innovative NO-NOx thermal energy conversion HoSt innovates with thermal of residual wood and residual waste streams. conversion technology and develops clean bioenergy plant Highlights include: l The technology achieves NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions at less than 95% of the emission of natural gas: <2.2 mg/Nm3 well below the national emission limits of 145 mg/Nm3 l kNH3 slip (ammonia) of <0.06 well below national emission limits of 30 mg/Nm3 l Particulate emissions of 0.5 mg/Nm3 well below national emission limits of 5 mg/Nm3 l Distinctive innovative NO-NOx thermal conversion technology l CO2 capture for utilization, sales or storage possible (liquid and gaseous) l Fuel: regionally available residual and pruning wood and other residual streams from for example sawmills, RDF, and agricultural waste HoSt’s mission is to remain at the forefront of hightech energy conversion from low-value unused residual streams that are available in abundance worldwide and for which no alternatives are available. The 15 MW bioenergy plant in Andijk, Netherlands with NO-NOx thermal conversion technology is the product resulting from years of research and innovation. Independent measurements show that the plant produces energy from prunings and residual waste wood with a NOx emission reduction of >99%. This is achieved by HoSt NO-NOx technology in combination with ultra low-NOx innovative combustion technology, precise combustion temperature control and highly automated control. In addition to clean conversion and very high availability, the HoSt design ensures streamlined fast construction on site due to its modular and innovative construction, resulting in lower costs. Wouter Kok from HoSt, an expert in the field of thermal conversion technology and responsible for the sales of the innovative bioenergy plant, explains, “It is not the application of only a baghouse filter that makes the plant exceptional. We achieve these lowest emissions through innovation in combustion technology and our innovative furnace, which creates a perfect mixing of flue gases with combustion air and a very high efficiency. Thanks to the clever configuration of the combustion zones on the grate, the three-stage combustion in the furnace in combination with flue gas recirculation, high peak temperatures are avoided, and the for-

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■ product news

mation of the amount of NOx is strongly reduced compared to conventional combustion furnace designs.” HoSt’s bioenergy plants fuel regionally available residual and pruning wood that is released in maintenance of nature and landscape and are also suitable for other low-value waste and residual flows, such as RDF and agricultural waste. The techniques are developed for the thermal conversion of residual streams that are not suitable for other applications. The waste streams are shredded and delivered to the bioenergy plants in the prescribed size. These can be pieces of up to 35 cm.

Eco-Friendly Paper Production

Plant for flue gas cleaning

At its site in Wörth am Rhein, Germany, paper manufacturing company Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG (Palm Group) started using a Scheuch fabric filter with additive metering to clean the flue gas from a power station back in 2008. As part of a project to modernize and extend the site, the decision was made to construct another combined heat and power station with the goal to utilize the energy within the waste material left over from production. To assist with this endeavor, Scheuch was once again brought in. The Austrian air pollution control specialist was tasked with installing a fabric filter featuring high-efficiency sorption and a downstream SCR system to ensure compliance with the strictest of emissions regulations. All five of the paper manufacturing sites operated by Palm Group in Europe are equipped with flexible, stateof-the-art power stations boasting energy efficiency levels of more than 90%. Keeping its paper manufacturing sustainable is clearly high on the company’s agenda, and it

Installation of a cyclone

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product news ■

Functional schematic of Scheuch system at Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co.

was this that led it to invest around 200 million euros in modernizing the power stations at its three German sites. Unlike fossil fuels, wood and recycled materials such as paper and biomass are CO2 neutral, which means that the combustion process only releases as much carbon dioxide as the plant absorbed as it grew. This quantity of CO2 would also be produced as a result of biogenic material rotting, and this makes biogenic material an appealing and useful choice of fuel. Nitrogen oxides are classified as reactive nitrogen compounds and have a negative impact on health and the environment. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) in flue gas is produced when biomass is burned, primarily as a result of nitrogen that is present in fuel, and this effect differs significantly according to the type of material being burned. Reflecting the customer’s dedication to sustainability and in the face of increasingly strict emissions requirements, the new product is now providing an effective way of separating not only the usual pollutants, but also NOx. Given the positive experience from the first collaborative project—a Scheuch flue gas cleaning system with a capacity of 50 MW that has been running flawlessly since its completion in 2008—Palm Group chose Scheuch for the contract to build a second flue gas cleaning system, this time with a capacity of 44 MW, at the same site. SNCR (selective non-catalytic reduction) technologies for separating dust, acidic flue gas components and nitrogen oxides (NOx) have been used in power stations for quite some time and constitute state-of-the-art technologies. However, ever stricter requirements concerning the NOx limit value and NH3 slip are making it necessary to implement additional emission reduction measures. For this reason, the flue gas cleaning system on modern power stations is being supplemented by tail-end SCR (selective catalytic reduction) to ensure that the lower limit values are met. This involves using a catalyst and adding ammonia (NH3) to convert the nitrogen oxides generated by the combustion process into harmless nitrogen (N2) and water (H2O). The SCR technology makes it possible to comply easily with even the lowest NOx val-

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■ product news

ues of ≤ 100 mg/Nm³ while also keeping the NH3 slip low. While tail-end SCR brings advantages in terms of the clean gas values that can be achieved, it also makes more demands on the technology that is used. For example, the amount of SOx in the flue gas must be reduced significantly before the point of entry into the SCR system to prevent ammonium salts forming on the honeycomb catalysts. To this end, a pneumatic delivery method is used to add sodium hydrogen carbonate to the flue gas flow upstream of the SCR system and the products of the reaction are then separated at a fabric filter. Adding activated carbon at this point as a means of reducing heavy metals and PCDD/F (dioxins/furans) also limits the flue gas temperature. The installation of a heat exchanger in the form of a

steam-heated gas preheater directly upstream of the denitrification system raises the flue gas temperature again. This makes for long service life and eliminates the need for the catalyst elements to undergo regular burn-off. To make the system more efficient, the flue gas temperature is once again reduced by an economizer before the flue gas enters the chimney. This combined use of a variety of processes from Scheuch now ensures the lowest emissions and an energy-efficient increase in efficiency. The lack of space proved particularly challenging in the case of this project, but Scheuch managed to install the second flue gas cleaning system directly next to the existing one in an area measuring just 19 x 15 m. The entire flue gas cleaning system was integrated

into the external facade and clad in special noise insulation panels to keep both the gaseous emissions and the sound emissions to an absolute minimum. In addition, special attention was paid to making the entire flue gas cleaning system easy to maintain. To this end, the entire system can be accessed by a shared crane system. “Compliance with the limit values has always been the top priority within the Palm Group and for this reason flue gas cleaning operations must be absolutely problem-free and reliable. We are pleased to see that the actual emission values being generated at full operation are well below the legal limit values,” comments Dr. Andreas Haas, Chief of Engineering Management, Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. (Article and images submitted by Scheuch. Visit Scheuch.com.)

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product news ■ BE&E Announces Major Developments Biomass Engineering & Equipment has added two fulltime design engineers and a chief production manager at its Indiana headquarters to accommodate the demand for its products. The hires follow the addition of a full-time materials control supervisor in 2020 and the creation of a manufacturing engineer role in Q2 2021. New team members include Carl Rosskopf and Michael Selenke, engineers; Scott Lawson, chief production manager; and Richard Weber, materials control supervisor. Jeff Niewedde serves as interim CFO and Jeremiah Richards as manufacturing engineer. The company plans to hire additional engineers, salespersons and support staff. l BE&E also announced the addition of Cory Frashefski, who will represent the company as Sales Engineer and Project Manager in the Northwest U.S., based in Spokane, Wash. Before joining BE&E, Frashefski served as the factory engineer at Katerra’s CLT plant in Spokane Valley, Wash. There he played an integral role in procuring equipment and designing the facility. Frashefski’s other experiences include time as an advanced applications engineer at Flow International and a mechanical engineer with MTW Design Services. “I realized it was a good opportunity,” Frashefski says about his position with BE&E. “It’s a growing company and a good fit.” l In another step of growth and to better serve its customers, BE&E is installing a Messer MetalMaster 2.0 plasma table and a 175-ton AccurPress brake. The investment will increase the company’s metal-forming and cutting capabilities, which will allow it to meet an increasing demand for its products and services. “We’ve experienced incredible growth and are positioning for even more,” comments Dane Floyd, President and CEO. “Our goal is always to provide the best service and equipment to our customers. These investments in people and machinery allow us to serve even more companies with our expertise so they can benefit from our innovations. The team we’ve put together for this is exceptional— they’re smart guys with a lot of hands-on experience. With them and our SMART line of bulk handling equipment, I’m confident we’ll continue to experience significant growth in the coming years.” woodbioenergymagazine.com

August 2021 / Wood Bioenergy

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■ product news

Morbark Gains Sourcewell Contract Morbark, LLC and its affiliated brands Rayco Manufacturing, Denis Cimaf, and Boxer Equipment have been awarded a cooperative purchasing contract with Sourcewell in the Tree Maintenance Equipment, Attachments, and Accessories category. Sourcewell is a self-sustaining government organization offering a cooperative purchasing program with more than 400 competitively solicited contracts to government, education and nonprofit entities throughout North America. By utilizing Sourcewell contracts, partici-

pating agencies save time and money by capturing the buying power of more than 50,000 organizations. Morbark was awarded this Sourcewell contract following a rigorous request for proposal process resulting in contracts that meet, or exceed, local procurement requirements. Morbark's contract with Sourcewell includes the complete lines of Eeger Beever brush chippers, Rayco stump cutters, horizontal and tub grinders, forestry mulchers, mulching attachments, as well as Boxer mini-skid steers, Rayco articulated wheel loaders, and attachments. Morbark's network

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Kice Industries Names Regional Sales Mgr. Kice has appointed Jeff Kinnunen as Regional Sales Manager, based out of Minneapolis, Minn. Kinnunen will be responsible for the oversight of sales throughout Minnesota, North and South Dakota, west Iowa, and northwestern Wisconsin territories.

Zak Leads Durr’s Clean Tech Systems

■ employment opportunities 1615

of approximately 300 North American dealer and distributor locations, as well as nearly 700 combined Morbark employees, work diligently to provide exceptional customer service and after-the-sale support. Learn more about Sourcewell and its contract with Morbark at sourcewell-mn.gov.

Ken Zak is the new head of the Dürr Group’s Clean Technology Systems division, succeeding Dr. Daniel Schmitt, who join the Board of Management of Homag Group AG. Clean Technology Systems is responsible for the Dürr Group’s environmental technology business. Zak has been part of the Clean Technology Systems management team since October 2018. He joined Dürr through the acquisition of U.S. environmental technology company Megtec/Universal.

Wood Bioenergy / August 2021

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