Co-location of torrefaction, power, biofuel plants reduces costs

Biomass Magazine

By Chris Hanson | November 11, 2013

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Torrefaction: Pre- or Post-Pelletization

Biomass Magazine

By Shahab Sokhansanj | October 07, 2013

 

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MSU planting poplars to generate biomass for power

SeattlePI.com
Updated 3:41 pm, Sunday, June 16, 2013

 

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Biomass: Torrefaction case study

RenewableEnergyFocus.com

17 May 2013
Andrew Mourant

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Biomass: When could torrefaction be commercially viable?

Renewable Energy Focus.com

10 May 2013
Andrew Mourant

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Torrefied Pellet Pursuit

Biomass Magazine

By Chris Hanson | April 04, 2013

 

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Developing Markets for Wood Pellets & Torrefied Wood, Pt 2

Biofuels Digest
August 13, 2012
A two-part series in which Digest contributor Tim Sklar looks at where the wood pellet and torrified wood markets are headed.
By Tim Sklar

In Part I, here, we looked at the Current and Projected Market for wood pellets and torrified wood, plus Biomass Procurement, co-firing, CO2 tax policy, and risk mitigation strategies. Our series today picks up with purchase agreements, sustainability concerns and more on the economics.

WP Purchase Agreements and Other Contracting Issues

One utility representative presenting at the Summit explained in some detail the sustainability standards certifications that his company uses as part of their “Standard” biomass procurement contracts. He also had mentioned the audits that his company is subjected to by Government officials to determine CO2 savings offsets that reduce the amount obtained from sale of the credits issued them for WP they use in lieu of coal. As TW was not discussed, it would be safe to assume that CO2 credits earned on using TW would also be subject to audits and possible offsets. This is a further complication when trying to determine a TW price that is acceptable to all.

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Developing Markets for Wood Pellets & Torrefied Wood, Pt 1

Biofuels Digest
By Tim Sklar

August 10, 2012

A two-part series in which Digest contributor Tim Sklar looks at where the wood pellet and torrified wood markets are headed.

Many experts familiar with the WP industry he expect demand for wood pellets in Europe to increase from 10 million metric tons per year today to 5 times that by 2020. In recognition of this optimistic outlook, a “Biomass Trade & Transport Summit”. It took place on July 17th and 18th in Charlotte, NC. This summit was organized to provide the opportunity to bring together those that are already participating in the trade of wood pellets between North American suppliers and European end users, to get a better understanding of this growing market and the profit opportunities that are expected.

The primary objective of this Summit was to convey information about the white wood pellet industry and where it is headed, specifically with respect to the US-EU WP Trade.

This “Summit” consisted of ten panel discussions covering a range of topics of interest to the U.S. wood pellet (“WP”) industry, and the market outlook European market it expects to serve.

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Report Projects Upswing in Torrefied Biomass Use

Biomass Power & Thermal
By Lisa Gibson February 10, 2012

Many of you will be interested in a new report by consulting firm Hawkins Wright that predicts global demand for torrefied biomass to exceed 70 million metric tons per year by 2020.

Judging by the number of questions I get about torrefaction viability and markets, many of you will be interested in a new report by consulting firm Hawkins Wright that predicts global demand for torrefied biomass to exceed 70 million metric tons per year by 2020.

The report claims torrefied biomass is on the brink of becoming a viable feedstock for utility-scale electricity generators, potentially replacing coal, as well as some types of wood pellets. Favorable renewable energy policies in Europe, North America and Asia would drive that demand, it continues. Hawkins Wright also reports that significant volumes of torrefied biomass are expected to reach the market in the coming months, with commercial-scale production plants operating by 2013.

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Maine biomass plant will house novel torrefaction technology

Biomass Power and Thermal
By Luke Geiver December 08, 2011

Thermogen Industries, a technology developer and manufacturer operated by New Hampshire-based investment firm Cate Street Capital Inc., is bringing a microwave-based woody biomass torrefaction technology to Maine.

The technology, created by U.K. firm Rotowave Ltd., uses a series of simultaneous electromagnetic frequencies in combination with a ceramic drum to maximize heat transfer throughout every biomass particle in the unit, making the process of pyrolysis used to turn woody biomass into a biocoal product more efficient. Richard Cyr, senior vice president for Cate Street Capital, said the licensing agreement between Rotowave and Thermogen happened after years of extensive research and planning, and by November 2012, Thermogen hopes to have roughly six Rotowave torrefaction units up and running at a biomass facility in Maine.

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Wood Pellet Venture To 'Torrefy' Biofuel

woodworkingnetwork.com
By Bill Esler 12/02/2011 3:13:00 PM

WASHINGTON, DC -- Oil giant ConocoPhillips and Enviva, a processor or wood and other biomass fuels, formed a joint venture to operate a new company, ECo Biomass Technologies, which will bring torrefied wood fuels to market.

The torrefaction process involves superheating wood in a controlled process, to create a uniform, water-repellant, dense fuel akin to coal. But sourced from wood it is considered to have a superior environmental profile compared with fossil fuels.

Torrefied fuel is said to burn cleanly, and be mixed and stoired with coal for power generation, diluting negative envinronmental imacts of the coal.

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DOE webinar explores conversion of raw biomass into feedstock

Biomass Power & Thermal
By Lisa Gibson August 30, 2011

Biomass leaching paired with torrefaction yields a densified biomass fuel ideally suited in many ways for biopower production, according to Luis Cerezo of the Electric Power Research Institute.

Cerezo was one of several speakers participating in a lengthy U.S. DOE webinar Aug. 30 that left nothing out in its exploration of converting raw biomass materials into efficient feedstocks for liquid biofuels and biopower. The webinar was composed of technical presentations that were given at “Transforming Biomass into Feedstock,” a biomass preconversion and densification workshop event hosted by DOE’s Biomass Program, the Office of Science and the Advanced Research Projects Agency. The workshop was held Aug. 23-24 at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

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Bioenergy expert: torrefaction may be biggest biomass market

Biomass Power & Thermal
By Anna Austin December 22, 2010

University of Minnesota Professor Doug Tiffany has been researching biofuels and biomass electricity for the last 15 years, and believes that blending torrefied biomass with coal represents the biggest potential market for biomass in the U.S.

A production economist in U of M’s extension service, Tiffany has immersed himself in renewable energy process economics, particularly those of running ethanol plants, producing biodiesel and wind energy, and using biomass to generate power.

Throughout his studies, one technology has continued to find its way into the economic equation—torrefaction. “I had an opportunity to look at torrefaction for some subcontract work that we did at the U of M to determine whether a torrefaction plant set up right next to an existing ethanol plant would be a good fit in terms of a business model,” Tiffany explained. “What happens in torrefaction is that a certain amount of volatile gases are driven off as the biomass is roasted, and those gases can be combusted to make steam. We determined that there would be sufficient steam from a good-sized torrefaction unit to supply about 69 percent of the thermal energy an ethanol plant would need.”

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Densification conference panel has torrefaction emphasis

Biomass Magazine
September 2010
By Lisa Gibson
Posted September 24, 2010, at 11:21 a.m. CST

Torrefaction is the hot topic and reoccurring theme for the biomass densification panel at the Southeast Biomass Conference & Trade Show Nov. 2-4 in Atlanta, with three of four speakers focusing on it in their presentations.

Densification Strategies to Increase the Viability of Biomass as a Power Feedstock will explore densification, transportation and pretreatments among other pertinent topics to the biomass arena in the Southeast U.S. As most biomass harvesters and developers know, densification can alleviate issues related to high transportation costs and low energy density.

In his presentation titled Torrefaction: Producing a Coal Replacement for Electric Generation and Industrial Heat and Power, Joseph James, president of South Carolina-based Agri-Tech Producers LLC, will discuss how the torrefaction of wood and plant biomass creates a renewable solid fuel with increased energy and physical density. Untreated wood has a Btu value of about 4,500, James cited, while torrefied wood can range from 10,000 to 12,000 Btu.

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Roasting biomass may be key process in bioenergy economy

PhysOrg.com

February 23, 2010 (PhysOrg.com) -- Biorefineries may soon rely on a process akin to roasting coffee beans to get more energy-dense biomass.

A new collaborative study between Idaho National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will investigate whether such roasting can create a more valuable product for the nascent biofuels industry. Initial studies show that driving moisture and volatile compounds from wood or straw could make the biomass more stable, compactable and energy dense.

"This could cut a lot of costs by providing a less expensive and higher-value product," said INL biofuels researcher Christopher Wright. "This technology has the ability to overcome biomass's moisture, mass and energy density problems, which make up a huge proportion of the cost barriers."

The technology he refers to is called "torrefaction" — heating biomass above 250 degrees Celsius in an oxygen-free environment. "It's not very different from roasting coffee beans," said Wright. But while coffee beans are roasted for flavor, biomass could be "torrefied" simply to improve its physical characteristics.

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Vega's China Venture to Use Special Torrefaction Technology in Ten Manufacturing Plants

CNNMoney.com
December 17, 2009: 08:00 AM ET

VEGA PROMOTIONAL SYSTEMS, INC. (PINKSHEETS: VGPR) recently announced the Company has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement to build multiple manufacturing plants throughout China to produce alternative energy using torrefaction technology.

The Company's Joint Venture with Global Capital Market, LTD (GCM), located in Shenzhen City, China is moving forward with its plan to build up to 10 manufacturing plants throughout China. The manufacturing plants will use special torrefaction technology to produce briquettes from organic waste products that will then be sold through Agreements with European power generating companies.

Torrefaction is a partial carbonization process that takes place at temperatures between 475 - 575 degrees in a low temperature environment which makes the physical and energetic properties of the biomass much more comparable to traditional coal. The biomass is then compressed into briquettes to be sold to the end user. Torrefaction has the added benefit of reducing or eliminating undesirable volatiles, such as nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxides and is considered carbon neutral to the environment.

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Torrefaction: Improving the Properties of Biomass Feedstocks

Biomass Magazine November 2009
By Bruce Folkedahl

Interest in using biomass for power and fuels production has grown even during this economic downturn because of its CO2 neutrality. For electricity production, biomass can be combusted or cocombusted with coal directly in a boiler or it can first be upgraded via gasification into a gaseous fuel and then be used to produce heat and power.

However, the different biomass fuels available are plagued by a large diversity in quality and quantity. One of the challenges for utilizing biomass for heat and power is its handling properties and feeding the fuel into a conversion process, whether it is combustion or gasification.

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Making Wood A Clean, Efficient Energy Source With New Process

ScienceDaily

ScienceDaily (Mar. 11, 2009) — Is wood the new coal? Researchers at North Carolina State University think so, and they are part of a team working to turn woodchips into a substitute for coal by using a process called torrefaction that is greener, cleaner and more efficient than traditional coal burning.

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Researchers test biomass gasification pretreatment

BioMass Magazine - November 2008
By Ryan C. Christiansen
Web exclusive posted Nov. 14, 2008 at 10:07 a.m. CST

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno are developing a biomass pretreatment method to help optimize the gasification of biomass, such as wood, corn stover, rice straw, and switchgrass. Using a hot pressurized water hydrothermal process followed by a hot nitrogen torrefaction process, the researchers are converting biomass into a carbon-neutral black, crumbly char, similar in shape and size to coal.

“[Through torrefaction], you increase the energy density of the biomass by exposing the material to a certain temperature level in the absence of oxygen, and so you can use nitrogen, for instance, so that oxidation processes do not occur,” said Victor Vasquez, an associate professor in the chemical engineering department at the university and one of the researchers. “You dry out a lot of the water and you dry out some of the volatile compounds and in the end, you end up with a product that has a higher energy density and a reduced amount of water. The material becomes quite hydrophobic.”

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