The Log Pile Website > Wood Pellets > Production

Wood Pellet Fuel Production

Introduction

Pellet equipment sales in the UK are increasing and tied to its rate of growth is the price and availability of pellet supply. There is now an emerging wood pellet fuel industry in parts of the UK-focussed around pellet production. There are a growing number of medium and small size plants now starting production.

There are currently three main routes to setting up pellet production.

Large scale pellet production plants may only be appropriate in a limited number of situations in the UK due to variations in local supplies of biomass material suitable for pelletising. Reliable supplies of local, good quality sawdust or other waste wood suitable for processing are essential. 

2. Conversion of animal feed or grass mills

This option represents a relatively low cost way to set up pellet production since most of the machinery and auxiliary equipment (including driers) already exists.
Grass has similar characteristics to wood for pelletisation and as grass mills are used only from April to October they offer a good opportunity for wood pellet production during the winter.

Other advantages to this approach are that it would need a relatively low capital cost - especially as production of wood pellets could start modestly and increase as market demand grows. Some disadvantages could be that grass/animal feed pelletising equipment has a lower output rate than machinery specially designed to pelletise wood.. Modifications to method and material handling would be needed.

A good example of the process of setting up a small scale pellet production plant is the Somerset Pellet Mill. This is a joint venture between Renewable Heat and Power Ltd and a local wood recycling company.

The partnership purchased a small scale pellet machine from Sweden (SPC AB) which is capable of producing 300kg per hour.
(Annual production capability 2000 tonnes).

The machine is designed for 24 hour operation.
The typical cost for fully installed and commissioned system 'pellet factory' is between £75k-95k depending on options.

The advantages of this approach to pellet production are that it allows for relatively low capital cost, there is a fairly low power requirement (50kVA supply) and there is a short project set up period. Delivery is 10-12 weeks, commissioning 2-6 weeks. Total project 12-18 weeks from order.

Quality considerations

The growth of the wood pellet market will be relative to customer confidence in availability and quality of supply.   A number of European Pellet Standards exist.  A pan European standard CEN/TC 335 for biomass is also being developed and will replace the voluntary UK standard for premium pellets as developed by British Biogen before it merged with the Renewable Energy Assocation.

At present the categorisation for premium pellets are:

• Size between 4 & 20mm
  
• Ash content either <1% (Low), <3% (Standard) or <6% (High) to be clearly labelled
  
• Moisture content below 10% Calorific value > 4.7kWh/kg
  
• Bulk density > 600kg/m Sulfur content < 300ppm, Chlorine <800ppm
  
• Only additives lignin and trace amounts of vegetable oil as a die lubricant

Initiatives

The growth of the wood pellet fuel industry is based on the simultaneous establishment of

• Local pellet supplies
  
• Availability of high quality burning equipment
  
• Availability of trained service engineers

All within a 50 mile or 1 hour radius.

One possible way forward is to establish the local market using purpose built small scale pelletising equipment.

Grants

The second round of DEFRA's Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme should provide grants to farmers, foresters and businesses to help develop the supply chain required to harvest, store, process and supply energy crops and woodfuel to energy end-users.   The scheme was due to be re-launced in the Autumn of 2007, but no announcement has been made yet.  To register your interest in the scheme follow the link from the DEFRA website. 

Suppliers of Pelletising Equipment

Small Scale Equipment

Cornwell Heat Ltd of Bells Lane, Hawstead, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29 5NW.  Tel 01284 386447.

E-mail: cornwellheatltd@btopenworld.com

PelHeat Ltd of Lask Edge Farm,  Lask Edge, Leek, Staffordshire ST13 8QS

Tel: 07841660598 (Christopher Scott)

E-mail: chris.scott@pelheat.com

Web: www.pelheat.com  (website also contains useful information about the pellet making process and the properties of different raw materials.  Company developing a small-scale mobile pellet manufacturing plant)

Wood Energy Ltd of Pinkworthy Barn, Oakford, Tiverton, Devon EX16 9EU.  Tel 01398 351349.

E-mail: info@woodenergyltd.co.uk

Web: www.woodenergyltd.co.uk

Large Scale Equipment

Amandus Kahl of Germany ( http://www.environmental-expert.com/technology/amandus/amandus.htm )

Buhler Ltd of 20 Atlantis Avenue, London, E16 2BF

Tel 0207 055 6650

This year exhibiting at the European Biofuels Exhibition & Conference in Newark, Nottingham, on the 15th - 16th October, stand 50.  Further information can be found on: www.biofuels-expo.co.uk

E-mail: buhler.london@buhlergroup.com

Web: www.buhlergroup.com

Sprout-Matador through its sister company , UMT Ltd of Stockholm Road Sutton Fields, Hull, HU7 0XL. 

Tel 01482 825119.

E-mail: sales.equipment.hull@umt-group.com

Web: www.umt-group.com

For a list of pellet production equipment suppliers as compiled by the Biomass Energy Centre please click here. 

Pellet Handling & Storage Equipment

Large Scale Equipment

Alvan Blanch, Chelworth Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9SG

Tel 01666 577339

E-mail: info@alvanblanch.co.uk

Web:  www.alvanblanch.co.uk (company also manufacture briquetting machinery)

E. Collinson & Co. Ltd, Riverside Industrial Park, Catterall, Preston, Lancashire PR3 0HP

Tel 01995 606 451

E-mail: info@collinson.co.uk

Web: www.collinson.co.uk

MAFA I ÄNGELHOLM AB
Fratidsgatan 3, S.262 73 ÄNGLEHOLM, Sweden
Tel: 0046 431 881 40
E-mail: mafa@mafa.se

Web: www.mafa.se
Manufacturers of silos suitable for small and large scale storage of wood pellets

Saxlund International Ltd, 11 Freemantle Business Centre, Millbrook Road East, Southampton SO15 1JR.

Tel 023 8063 6330

E-mail: frankboyles@saxlund.co.uk (Managing Director)

Web: www.saxlund.co.uk (company also offer complete turnkey plant installation and commissioning)

Bagging

Large Scale Equipment

BTH (UK) Ltd

Tel: 01773 570570

E-mail: info@bth-bv.co.uk

Web: www.bth-bv.com

Pellet Testing

TES Bretby, PO Box 100, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Burton upon Trent DE15 0XD.

Tel 01283 554451

E-mail: jonathan.clay@tes-bretby.co.uk

Web: http://www.esgl.co.uk/tesbretby/

Please note that inclusion in these lists is not an indication of endorsement, nor is exclusion an indicator of disapproval.  If you are a supplier to the pellet industry and consider you ought to be included in one or more of these lists, then please contact Sandra Hayes

Page last updated 12/2/08

Log Pile is a project from the National Energy Foundation which was supported by DEFRA.