Biomass is a preferred fuel for renewable, carbon-neutral electricity generation by power plants. The U.S. is the largest global exporter of densified biomass, predominantly to the European Union. These wood pellets are stored in very large silos, both after production and prior to export, leaving them prone to unique operational and fire safety challenges. One of the main safety issues with wood pellet storage is the potential for a silo fire. A silo fire usually initiates deep inside the center of the silo and is not easily detected until it has engulfed most of the biomass inside. Once a silo fire has started, most options to control the fire while saving the structure and material within are futile. Methods for Detecting and Preventing Silo Fires Biomass fires often begin with smoldering due to the biological and chemical activities that produce combustible gases, such as methane and carbon monoxide (CO). These gases build up in concentration and ignite in the presence of air, producing heat. The local temperature rise further increases the chemical oxidation, with rapid generation of combustible gases spreading the smoldering fire throughout the interior of the silo. Depending on the porosity of biomass and the air ingress into the silo, the combustible gases slowly rise to the headspace, creating an explosive atmosphere at the silo&rsquo;s top. The potential for exposure to a high concentration of CO and the explosive mix of gases precludes firefighters from fighting a silo fire from the top. The typical method for detecting an incipient fire in a storage vessel is by monitoring the combustible gas concentration in the headspace. In the case of biomass silo fires, this approach may not be very effective due to the slow rise of combustible gases through the biomass. Depending on the height of biomass in the silo, it could take days before a concentration rise is detected in the headspace. By this time, the chemical and biological oxidation has spread to cover a significantly larger volume inside the silo (Persson, H., 2013, &ldquo;Silo Fires: Fire Extinguishing and Preventive and Preparatory Measures,&rdquo; Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency). A preventative approach to a silo fire is the application of water or foam from the top of the silo. However, this method is potentially hazardous due to the buildup of combustible gases in the headspace. Additionally, the use of water leads to swelling and bridging of the biomass, which can result in silo collapse without effectively extinguishing the fire in the interior of the silo. Preventing, Suppressing Silo Fires Using Nitrogen One approach to suppressing a silo fire is by injecting an inert gas, such as nitrogen, into the silo. However, large volumes of nitrogen are not always readily available or near the silo. Although nitrogen can be delivered in bulk quantities by tanker from their production plants located nearby, some infrastructure is required for injecting nitrogen into a silo, such as piping, injection point location and orientation that needs to be built into the silo itself. Sufficient nitrogen delivery could take days, and depending on the fire intensity and the silo size, it could take weeks to months to extinguish a fire on-site. A silo fire can be devastating and expensive, leading not only to the complete loss of stored material, but also an extended production loss by the plant. Given the extreme challenge of fighting a silo fire once it has begun, preventative approaches like proactively inerting storage silos with dry nitrogen are the best option. As the oxygen concentration in the storage area is lowered by displacement with nitrogen, the energy required to start a fire becomes significantly higher. Furthermore, combustion cannot be sustained below the limiting oxygen concentration of the biomass, therefore protecting the silo and its contents. The purging with an inert gas during the filling and emptying steps can also be a penetrative approach.&nbsp; Dry nitrogen gas can also reduce moisture on the surface of the biomass, helping curtail biological activity while cooling the biomass to lower the chemical oxidation rate. Providing a continuous purge of dry nitrogen gas into the silo creates a lower oxygen concentration in the headspace, and reduces the risk of an explosive atmosphere forming in the headspace. Designing a Nitrogen Inerting System for Biomass Storage Proactive inerting is recommended both at the receiving facility (i.e., power plant) and at the biomass production facility where material is stored in large silos prior to shipment. A cost-effective silo inerting process can be designed utilizing computational modeling of gas flow within the silo, and requires the installation of plug-free nitrogen injection nozzles. To ensure uniform nitrogen gas dispersion with optimal nitrogen gas usage, the number and placement of gas injection nozzles are critical to the design. Computational Fluid Dynamics can be used to simulate the spatial distribution and generation of combustible gases within a silo, using standard or material-specific reaction models. Inefficient nozzle design and placement can lead to pockets of high oxygen and combustible gas concentration in the silo, thereby creating unsafe conditions. CFD can also be used to create oxygen and combustible gas concentration profiles under both transient conditions, for example, during startup or a nitrogen injection surge, as well as for steady-state operation in a specific silo. The inerting system can be designed to control to a maximum combustible gas concentration in the silo, to a maximum oxygen concentration in the silo, or both. Along with this prevention approach, the capability of injecting a large volume of nitrogen in the event of a fire can also be built into the design. On-site nitrogen storage or generation equipment can be specified to meet a steady inerting requirement, as well as to achieve a surge flow during an emergency event. Figures 1 and 2 are examples of CFD modeling results used to design fire prevention and suppression systems for biomass silos at both a biomass power station and a biomass production and storage facility. In one case, a coal-fired power station made the decision to convert its primary fuel source to wood. To store the biomass safely, a nitrogen injection and delivery system was designed to prevent the buildup of methane and other flammable gases, thus mitigating the risk of a silo fire. Extensive CFD simulations were performed, based on the specific geometry of the silos to minimize methane concentration and optimize nozzle placement within the silo to ensure the most cost-effective gas distribution (see Figure 1). In addition, a nitrogen gas delivery system including nitrogen flow controls linked to gas and heat sensors, as well as proprietary injection nozzles designed to alleviate plugging with dust particles, were added. In another case, a storage facility had experienced a silo fire that resulted in months of smoldering wood pellets and eventual silo collapse. When rebuilding the facility, for both fire prevention and mitigation, the silos were designed to be inerted with nitrogen below the limiting oxygen concentration of the wood pellets when filled to capacity. CFD studies were used to evaluate the nitrogen injection system design and validate the number and placement of the injection nozzles (see Figure 2). Transient simulations performed showed not only the propagation of an inert atmosphere, but also the time required to dispel oxygen from the silo geometry at a given flow rate. This enabled the operation team to fine tune their operating strategy, validate their design and ensure adequate nitrogen was available on-site to reduce the oxygen concentration in a silo at any given time. &nbsp;The examples in Figures 1 and 2 demonstrate that a range of solutions exists for fire suppression and inerting biomass silos. These solutions can be designed and engineered to the specifications of a storage project and can include consultation on the approach to fire mitigation, CFD studies to validate a design based on simulation results, and the addition of specific flow control systems or plug-free nozzles, along with nitrogen supply. Given the immense risk posed by fire in a biomass silo, implementing a fire suppression system optimized for a specific operation is vitally important to ensuring a safe and profitable operation. &nbsp; Contact: Air Products 800-654-4567 info@airproducts.com www.airproducts.com

Proactive inerting is recommended both at the receiving facility and at the biomass production facility where material is stored in large silos prior to shipment. 

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The formation of volatile gases, such as methane, and their concentration distribution can be simulated through computational modeling. This illustration shows the methane distribution in a silo with continuous nitrogen inerting.  

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Computational modeling can be used to design an efficient inert gas delivery system. This illustration shows the transient oxygen distribution as nitrogen is injected into the silo at a fixed flow rate. 

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A silo fire can be devastating and expensive, leading not only to the complete loss of stored material, but also to an extended production loss by the plant. Nitrogen inerting is an effective solution to mitigate risk. 

Biomass Storage: Fire Suppression Using Nitrogen Inerting

Despite the Japanese and South Korean governments introducing policies to curb the growth of biomass power, both markets continue to expand, albeit at a slower rate than some had anticipated. The Renewable Portfolio Standard, introduced by the South Korean government in 2012, has supported the rapid growth of bioenergy. It requires energy companies with capacity exceeding 500 MW to obtain an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources. To satisfy their RPS targets, obligated companies can either produce their own renewable energy, which will earn them renewable energy certificates (RECs) per megawatt-hour (MWh) of renewable energy produced, or purchase RECs on the market. But in May, the government announced changes to the RPS, which threatened to jeopardize some planned biomass projects. The government decided to change the REC weightings of some biomass technologies. Its motivation was to reduce obligated companies&rsquo; reliance on biomass and imported materials in achieving their RPS targets, and encourage deployment of other renewable technologies. The new REC weightings (Figure 1) apply to new biomass projects, or operating projects that wish to change their fuel type, while existing projects will continue to receive the previous REC weightings. The changes mean new, dedicated plants using imported biomass will see their support fall from 1.5 REC/MWh to 1 REC/MWh, while new cofiring and coal-to-biomass conversion projects using imported wood will now receive no support at all. However, support has increased for projects planning to use domestic, &ldquo;unused wood,&rdquo; e.g. forest residues. The government has introduced a grace period, which means planned, dedicated biomass projects can still claim the old REC weightings if they secure construction plan approval before January 2019. Any projects that fail to obtain construction approval by this date will only be eligible for the reduced support. Our analysis suggests that the new REC weightings for dedicated plants will threaten their economic viability, making it vital for those in the planning stages to secure the old weightings. It is difficult to know which dedicated plants in the pipeline will be able to meet the six-month permitting deadline, but the grace period has incentivized planned, dedicated projects to move quickly with development plans. Since the announcement, GS EPS&rsquo;s planned 100-MWe Dangjin 2 biomass-fired plant, SMG Energy&rsquo;s 100-MWe Gunsan plant and CGN&rsquo;s 109 MWe Daesan plant have all made important steps toward developing their plants, and look likely to have secured the old REC weighting. However, there are a number of other planned, dedicated plants that could be in jeopardy. We understand that Hangyang/KHNP, KOMIPO and KOWEPO/BOIM are all working to move forward as quickly as possible with their dedicated biomass projects, but have yet to make any new announcements. In addition, the cuts to support for planned cofiring and coal-to-biomass conversion projects means GS E&amp;R has cancelled its plans to cofire at its Donghae Electric Power plant, and KOEN will no longer convert its Yeongdong unit No. 2 from coal to biomass (it will continue to cofire biomass at the unit). Other companies that already cofire wood pellets in their coal plants to help meet their RPS targets will be unaffected by the changes, including the five state-owned generating companies that have been the main consumers of wood pellets in South Korea. Therefore, short-term biomass demand should be stable, but there has been mounting speculation that the South Korean government could soon change its policy and reduce support for existing cofirers, too. We understand that a decision is expected from the government about whether to curb cofiring in mid-2019. Meanwhile, in Japan, higher-than-expected demand for feed-in-tariff (FIT) support from biomass projects has led the government to review its policy and take steps to control growth. By March 2017, the capacity of approved biomass projects under the FIT general wood category (which includes imported wood pellets, palm kernel shells and wood chips) was almost 12 GW, three times the country&rsquo;s 2030 &ldquo;best energy mix&rdquo; target of 2.7 to 4 GW. However, the latest statistics released by Japan&rsquo;s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry show a decrease in the certified capacity of biomass projects in the FIT. The data, which was valid as of March, indicates certified capacity of general wood projects fell 38 percent from a year earlier. As of then, there was 7.4 GW of general wood approved capacity. Of that, less than 10 percent was operational (662 MW). General wood still accounts for the largest category of biomass capacity. Several factors are likely to be behind the fall in approved capacity under the FIT, with milestone deadlines the major contributor. New FIT projects are required to provide evidence of a grid connection agreement within six to nine months of receiving FIT certification. There was a large jump in FIT-approved capacity in March 2017, meaning all of these projects needed to secure a grid connection before the end of 2017. The data for March 2018 indicates that a significant number of those projects failed to obtain a grid connection in time and therefore lost their subsidy support. The government also introduced more stringent sustainability requirements for palm oil projects. In March 2017, 38 percent of approved &ldquo;general wood&rdquo; capacity was, in fact, planned palm oil projects. In April 2018, Japan&rsquo;s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy updated its guidelines for biomass power projects receiving FIT support, and introduced more stringent sustainability and traceability criteria for liquid biomass projects. Palm oil certification is still very limited in Indonesia and Malaysia, meaning sourcing significant quantities of certified palm oil would be very challenging (and costly). In 2017, around 17 percent of total plantation area in Malaysia was RSPO certified, and 15 percent in Indonesia. Another deadline that could further impact the pipeline of FIT biomass projects is that projects approved before April 1, 2018, must have ordered equipment within two years of getting FIT certification. Only a small number of boiler manufacturers&mdash;around four or five&mdash;can provide the necessary equipment, and this will constrain the number of projects that can secure an order by the deadline. Therefore, we expect that more FIT biomass capacity will be cancelled. This likelihood has led some industry representatives to warn that boiler manufacturing capacity could pose a risk to achieving the country&rsquo;s 2030 biomass power targets. Looking ahead, the move to auctioned FIT-supported biomass projects will also greatly reduce the potential rate of biomass deployment in the FIT. METI has introduced a bidding system for general wood biomass projects with a capacity above 10 MW, and for all liquid biomass projects, such as palm oil. The quota for the first general wood auction&mdash;i.e., the total capacity of biomass power projects that will be awarded a FIT&mdash;will be 180 MW, and it will be held in December. Despite all of the above challenges, the progression of Japanese projects continues to accelerate. It seems that almost weekly there are announcements of new projects, and those in the pipeline are reaching key milestones. Noteworthy developments in just the past few weeks include a financial close on Aioi&rsquo;s 200-MW, biomass-fired power plant, Equis Bioenergy issuing a notice to proceed on a planned 50-MW power plant in Tokuyama, and Idemitsu Kosan beginning a feasibility study on a 50-MW power plant at its Tokuyama complex in Yamaguchi. Judging by experience in Europe, it is far from surprising that the large pipeline of projects is now being whittled down. At Hawkins Wright, we have always taken this likelihood into account when forecasting biomass demand growth in Asia. Even accounting for the recent changes, there is still significant growth on the horizon. As a result, the region will soon rival Europe in terms of industrial wood pellet demand volumes. The policy changes in both countries and subsequent impact on demand forecasts has meant Hawkins Wright has updated the policy and demand sections of its Asia Pacific Biomass Demand &amp; Supply report, originally published in April 2018. The new, condensed, report Asian Biomass Demand is available from December 2018. &nbsp; Author: Rachael Levinson Biomass Research Manager, Hawkins Wright rachael@hawkinswright.com www.hawkinswright.com

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Growing biomass demand in Asia continues to capture the attention 
of the international wood pellet industry.

Asian Biomass Market: Growing Despite Policy Setbacks

For our new readers, tell us about the U.S. Industrial Wood Pellet Association, and its history and mission. Founded in 2011 by several industry leaders, including Enviva, Fram Renewable Fuels, ecoFUELS, Georgia Biomass, and the Westervelt Company, USIPA promotes sustainability and safety practices in the woody biomass sector and advocated for the growth of the global bioenergy market.&nbsp; We represent U.S. wood pellet manufacturers, as well as others in the supply chain, from shipping and transport, to equipment manufacturing, to traders and brokers, to producers. The association provides a unified voice for the industry, works with regulators on renewable energy policies, and educates policymakers on the sustainability of the industry and U.S. forestry practices. Looking back on the year, what are some standout milestones or accomplishments the industry achieved? Our biggest achievement this year was in the European Union. Two years ago, the EU started the process of developing the EU Renewable Energy Directive for 2021-&lsquo;30 (also known as REDII) to comply with the commitments made in the Paris Agreement and to set emissions and renewable energy targets. The REDII proposed a new set of bioenergy sustainability criteria that would apply across all member states.&nbsp; USIPA, our members, and our partner organizations across Europe and North America supported the idea of harmonized criteria, as it provides regulatory clarity and allows for easier trade of our product. Throughout the lengthy legislative process, we advocated for smart bioenergy policies that would support the strong history of forest stewardship and private landownership we see here in the U.S. Southeast. In the end, the final REDII bioenergy sustainability criteria strikes the right balance of ensuring sustainable practices while also recognizing the complexity of forest products markets in the U.S. Additionally, the EU Parliament, EU Council, and European Commission recognize the important role that bioenergy plays in meeting emissions requirements and providing stable, secure power generation. We are pleased with the outcomes of this legislative process, which was finalized this summer, and look forward to continuing to supply Europe&rsquo;s energy markets. What does the U.S. export market looklike right now, in terms of capacity, production, etc.? Our members are on track to export about 6 million metric tons of wood pellets this year. We are seeing new development from some of our existing members, and also seeing some new investments being made from some new faces. There is another 1 million to 1.5 million metric tons of capacity in the pipeline. The export market experienced a multiyear boom, beginning in roughly 2008. How would you describe recent growth? As the industry has matured, we are seeing steadier, incremental growth.&nbsp; This is to be expected as the industry really started from zero in 2008 and ramped up quickly. With the REDII policy secured, there are additional opportunities in Europe, including the German power market and the industrial heat market in the Netherlands.&nbsp; The Asian market also continues to hold promise, so we anticipate the incremental growth will continue. The European market has been the major driver of the U.S. market, which, as I already mentioned, really started gaining momentum about a decade ago. Can you summarize the drivers of that demand? The drivers of that demand have been the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and the EU&rsquo;s own emissions targets.&nbsp; To comply with the Kyoto Protocol and establish the EU as a leader in climate change mitigation, the EU developed its first Renewable Energy Directive, which established a 20/20/20 emissions by 20 percent, and use 20 percent renewable energy by 2020.&nbsp; This was the original driver of the European market, as EU countries needed to quickly source reliable renewable energy. They understood that sustainable biomass could provide baseload, on-demand power that could balance the grid alongside other renewables, which could be intermittent and unstable.&nbsp; The REDII (discussed above) established similar rules to comply with the Paris Agreement, this time committing to reduce emissions by 30 percent and increase renewable energy usage to 32 percent. This will continue to drive demand and potentially open up new markets for us in Europe. Some predictions indicate the European market is set to plateau. Do you agree with that, or there any new potential markets or trends there? There are still opportunities for growth in Europe.&nbsp; As mentioned above, the REDII sets up the industry with regulatory certainty and government support, two key factors required for the growth of any industry.&nbsp; In Germany, for example, a commission has been established to submit plans by the end of the year for abolishing coal-fired power. Of Germany&rsquo;s energy,&nbsp; 40 percent provided by coal, one of the largest shares in Europe, and over 50,000 people are employed in Germany&rsquo;s coal industry, so moving to renewable energy resources will not be easy.&nbsp; However, our industry has a proven track record of success in helping member states reduce coal usage, so we see great opportunity for biomass, both domestic and imported, to play a role in Germany&rsquo;s decarbonization.&nbsp; There is also the industrial heat sector in the Netherlands, where large manufacturers who are major heat users will need to find renewable sources to comply with Dutch regulatory requirements. We have a surplus of available lower-grade feedstock in the U.S. South, and we have already developed the supply chains to export our product to northwestern Europe, so we have a prime opportunity to supply this market as well. Moving on to Asian markets, which is the theme of this issue of Pellet Mill Magazine, does the U.S. industry have a chance at gaining more market share there, or will it focus on growth elsewhere? I have been told Canadian producers have a route advantage that U.S. producers just don&rsquo;t.&nbsp;&nbsp; We see a lot of potential in the Asian markets.&nbsp; The U.S. South has an abundance of lower-grade, affordable feedstock.&nbsp; In fact, all market projections indicate we will experience a surplus of this feedstock for the foreseeable future. This makes the region a very competitive supplier for both Japan and South Korea.&nbsp; Combined, these markets are projected to be larger than current European markets, so there is opportunity for all of North America to successfully supply Asian demand. Is there a possibility of exporting wood pellets from the West Coast, especially with the massive amounts of dead and dying trees there? Is there a chance it might be economically done in the future? Currently, the most economical location is the southeastern region of the U.S. because the industry has spent the past decade building out supply chains, and because of the very strong and active forest products industry that already exists in the region. The West Coast is certainly a future possibility, but there are still many uncertainties, such as the price of feedstocks, the investment needed to build out infrastructure, and the availability of fiber, as the western U.S. has vast amounts of federally owned lands, which have strict limits on harvesting rates. In the U.S., have there been any favorable policy developments in terms of incentivizing energy derived from pellets and other biomass? Over the past few months, the U.S. EPA has released the Affordable Clean Energy rule, which provides states instruction and guidelines for developing state plans to reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy usage. While the U.S. has no national emissions target at this time, many states and localities are committing to the promises in the Paris Agreement and creating their own environmental goals. Additionally, EPA, DOE, and USDA sent a letter just this month to Congress touting the benefits of woody biomass energy and outlining their plans to develop policies around the use of biomass as a renewable energy source. This could open up a favorable situation for a domestic U.S. market for pellets. Safety is critical in this industry. How important is this topic to the industry and your members, and why? What is the motto or bottom line when it comes to safety? Safety is priority number one for our industry and our members.&nbsp; Providing a safe work environment for industry employees is nonnegotiable. USIPA&rsquo;s Safety Work Group, which is comprised of safety and operations professionals from each pellet producer, has developed a set of industry best practices and holds routine calls and meetings to provide updates and discuss safety incidents.&nbsp; What are some major areas of focus of your association in 2019? In 2019, we will be focusing on communicating our industry&rsquo;s positive message (we have a great story to share!), and continuing to strengthen current markets and explore new ones. Author: Anna Simet Editor, Biomass Magazine asimet@bbiinternational.com 701-738-4961

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The U.S. Industrial Wood Pellet Association's Seth Ginther discusses a decade of growth, and what's on the horizon for the still-expanding industry. 

Maintaining Momentum

In May, two of the biggest names in bulk material handling merged, creating a synergy between U.S., Asian and European wood pellet markets. JCE Group AB in Sweden and Cargotec Corp. in Finland signed a deal to create the Bruks Siwertell Group. The newly formed company develops, manufactures and markets products and solutions globally for bulk terminals, ship unloaders, conveying systems, screening and size reduction. JCE owns 52 percent of Bruks Siwertell shares, and Cargotec owns 48 percent. As Bruks Siwertell CEO Peter Jonsson points out, for many years, the two companies have served as industry leaders in the bulk handling market, with each company offering its own diversified equipment portfolio. The current industry climate and the potential for growth led to a discussion about a joint venture between Bruks and Siwertell, he says. &ldquo;Both companies worked together to ensure the merger process was efficient and mutually beneficial.&rdquo; Following the merger, Per Karlsson, Siwertell president, remarks, "This is a true partnership between two strong brands, Siwertell and Bruks, as they complement each other very well both in terms of product portfolio and market coverage. Siwertell will benefit from Bruks' strong position in the U.S. market, whereas Bruks will gain access to Siwertell's Asian network, knowledge and exposure.&rdquo; Capitalizing On Asia The new business arrangement is already paying off in Asian markets, Jonsson says. &ldquo;Prior to the merger, the Bruks U.S. group was focused on exports. We were supporting the wood pellet producers by exporting their products,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;Siwertell was very involved in the import side. They had the equipment to offload the pellets coming into Europe. &ldquo;Now that we&rsquo;re one unit, we&rsquo;re capitalizing on both sides of the spectrum in the Asian market,&rdquo; Jonsson continues. &ldquo;We have several large utilities in Asia asking for our help on the unloading side. We&rsquo;ve parlayed our relationship with customers here in the U.S. to introduce them to these utilities in Asia. In some cases, the U.S. pellet manufacturers didn&rsquo;t know about these opportunities. We have brought them to the table, informing them that a particular utility is looking to import millions of tons of wood pellets. If they&rsquo;re not talking to each other, we offer to make the introductions.&rdquo; Siwertell is an international supplier of ship unloaders, road-mobile unloaders, port-mobile unloaders, ship loaders, mechanical and pneumatic conveying systems and bulk terminal solutions. Most equipment is customized according to individual bulk operating requirements, but it also offers standardized products. Bruks is a global provider of mechanical-engineering and equipment supply for the bulk materials handling industries. The company provides specialized customer solutions, including the development of custom machines and systems. Its product portfolio offers a wide variety of customized solutions for the bulk materials handling industry. &ldquo;Capitalizing on their combined global market coverage enables both brands to extend their customer relations and create a wider geographic reach,&rdquo; Jonsson says. &ldquo;The joint venture between Bruks and Siwertell offers customers complete dry bulk terminal and sales bulk handling, as well as processing systems for wood yards, pellet plants, pulp and paper mills, saw mills and more. This dynamic new company also provides an extended service network to its customers worldwide.&rdquo; Combining Complementary Strengths The core focus areas of each company complement one another with Siwertell having a solid presence throughout Europe and Asia, particularly with its unique screw-type ship unloader. Bruks maintains a strong presence in the Americas, with a complete product portfolio of solutions for conveying and storage, stacking and reclaiming, and its newly developed belt conveyer product. &ldquo;Bruks has a longstanding commitment to providing optimized solutions to the wood pellet industry,&rdquo; Jonsson says. &ldquo;The company designed a complete product line to handle timber in the forest and process excess materials at saw mills. Equipment includes hammer mills to create sawdust from wood chips, as well as products to produce, transport and store wood pellets. &ldquo;Siwertell's screw-type ship unloader is unique and efficient for handling wood pellets,&rdquo; he continues. &ldquo;The ship unloader is currently the only one on the market with the capacity to handle both coal and wood pellets on one machine. This is particularly innovative, as many power stations are transitioning from coal to wood pellets for energy production.&rdquo; Jonsson says the merger to create the Bruks Siwertell Group has resulted in a diverse business strategy focused on developing specialized solutions for customers. The group plans to grow its sea terminal business by providing complete sea terminals to feature ship loading and unloading, conveying, stacking, reclaiming and storage. &ldquo;Siwertell's product line includes a unique ship unloader&mdash;undeniably the most efficient and environmentally friendly equipment to continuously unload ships on the market today,&rdquo; Jonsson explains. &ldquo;Coupled with Bruks conveying and dry bulk material storage solutions and strong product portfolios for ship loading, Bruks and Siwertell's joint venture will provide significantly more innovative solutions for its customer base.&rdquo; Thus far, Jonsson says, the Bruks Siwertell customer base has embraced the new brand. He believes the integration of the two companies has been seamless. As a result of the merger, the group is seeing new business and developing new leads worldwide. To date, Jonsson says Bruks Siwertell has an extensive list of prospects and has made several joint proposals that uses its combined product portfolio. Although the number of large-scale wood pellet industry projects varies from year to year, Jonsson says the wood pellet market remains an important and significant part of Bruks Siwertell's business. ----------------------------------- SIDE BAR -----------------------------------------------------------------
Case Study at a Glance: Aved&oslash;re Power Station Denmark-based Orsted&rsquo;s two-unit power station in Aved&oslash;re, Copenhagen, was converted from coal to wood pellets and straw, beginning in 2016. Serving this multifuel demand is a Siwertell ST 790-M unloader. Under the terms of the turnkey contract with Dong Energy, Cargotec took full responsibility for the delivery of the Siwertell ship unloader, from the initial order until the plant was commercially operational. The unloader was manufactured in Estonia, and delivered as a complete system on board a heavy lift vessel, direct to Aved&oslash;re. Following installation, testing and commissioning, the first wood pellets were unloaded within a few weeks of the unloader arriving. The fully-enclosed design results in minimal dust emissions, and spillage is completely eliminated, minimizing environmental impact and significantly reducing the risk of fire. The unloader can handle coal or pellets without any need for adjustment. Once unloaded, the cargo can be directed in multiple ways. The service agreement with Orsted provides a safe, economical and reliable operation of the Siwertell unloader, and covers call-out-based service including mechanical, instrumentations and electrical maintenance training, regular inspections checking the machine status and performance. - SOURCE: SIWERTELL ----------------------------------- SIDE BAR ----------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Patrick C. Miller Staff Writer, Pellet Mill Magazine pmiller@bbiinternational.com 701-738-4923

Bruks wood pellet loading equipment is installed at the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina. The Enviva terminal serves as the shipment point for biomass fuels manufactured at the company's Sampson County facility. 

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Bruks provided engineering and equipment to receive and feed raw material to the Drax Biomass Pellet Plant Woodyard in Beekman, Louisiana. 

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A Siwertell ship unloader operates at Ã˜rsted in Denmark. It's designed to handle both biopellets and coal with a capacity of 800 tons per hour. 

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The merger of Bruks and Siwertell has created a global bulk material handling group focused on complete, specialized solutions for customers. 

Joining Forces

Buddhism has always promoted the importance of respect for nature. Biomass Supplies actively works with temples in its catchment areas to plant a triple fence around their temple lands. Here field officers plant with a Buddhist monk in Polonnaruwa.

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Gliricidia branches, the harvest from one smallholder farmer, are neatly stacked awaiting collection.  

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â€œWe were close to nature when we were young,â€� says Saman Weerasinghe, a Biomass Supplies field officer. â€œFor generations, we had a habit of planting trees for occasions like birthdays. Kids nowadays often forget their connection to nature.â€�

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Sri Lanka is a multireligious, multiethnic country. Biomass Supplies works with leaders of all religionsâ€”here, explaining planting techniques with a Catholic church in Puttalam.  

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With its quarter-century-long civil war over for a decade now, Sri Lanka is poised to enter the Asian wood pellet theater armed with Gliricidia and passionate developers.   

Cultivating Sri Lankan Supply

Sumitomo to build South Korea pellet-fueled power plant Sumitomo SHI FW has been awarded a contract by SK Engineering &amp; Construction Co. Ltd. for design and supply of SMG Energy&rsquo;s biomass power plant to be located in Gunsan City in South Korea. Commercial operation of the new plant is scheduled for December 2020. SFW will design and supply the 100 MWe CFB steam generator and auxiliary equipment for the boiler island. The CFB steam generator will be designed to burn 100 percent wood pellets, while meeting applicable environmental regulatory requirements. SFW has supplied over 30 CFB steam generators to South Korea, and the Gunsan plant will be the fourth firing biomass as its primary fuel. Enviva to supply pellets to converted Japan power plant Oct. 31, Enviva announced that wood pellet off-take contract agreements with Mitsubishi Corp. are now firm. The announcement follows news released by Mitsubishi indicating construction is underway on a biomass power plant conversion in Japan. Conditions precedent to Enviva&rsquo;s previously announced take-or-pay off-take contracts to supply 630,000 metric tons per year of wood pellets to a Japanese customer have been satisfied and the agreements are now firm, the company said. Under the terms of the agreements with Mitsubishi, Enviva will be the exclusive, long-term imported biomass fuel suppliers to Aioi Bioenergy Corp., a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corp. Power Ltd. and Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. According to Enviva, deliveries under the contracts are scheduled to begin in late 2022 and continue for at least 15 years. Simultaneous to Enviva&rsquo;s announcement, Mitsubishi Corp. subsidiary Mitsubishi Corp. Power Ltd. announced it had begun work on a biomass power generation plant in western Japan, a project being executed through Aioi Bioenergy, and will be fired solely on Enviva-supplied wood pellets. Unit 2 of Aioi Power Station in Hyogo Prefecture will be converted from the use of heavy or crude oil. Mitsubishi said the unit has been offline since April 1, but will resume operations once the conversion is complete. The unit is expected to begin generating power using biomass fuel in January 2023, and operate for a 20-year period. Global Pellet to launch pellet brokering platform Global Pellet Inc. announced it has launched a website aimed at connecting buyers and sellers of wood pellets. Global Pellet is a Michigan-registered corporation focused on facilitating international trade within the energy industry. On the new website, globaljoule.com, wood pellet producers can register their businesses and products, and then be matched with purchase requests from registered buyers. Registration is by invitation only.&nbsp; End sellers and end buyers should send requests to register to director@globaljoule.com to request or offer products. Ring receives SFI President's Award The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. announced that Bettina Ring has been named recipient of the 2018 SFI President&rsquo;s Award. Virginia&rsquo;s secretary of agriculture and forestry and an SFI board member, Ring is being recognized for her commitment to encouraging diversity in the forest sector, and leadership in advancing sustainable forestry. Ring is the first woman to be appointed secretary of agriculture and forestry in Virginia, overseeing two agencies along with the Department of Forestry. Ring was appointed to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam&rsquo;s Cabinet in January. In October, she was appointed to Northam&rsquo;s Conservation Cabinet, emphasizing the important role that the agriculture and forestry industries play in conservation and environmental stewardship in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ring&rsquo;s leadership is also supporting SFI&rsquo;s efforts to encourage diversity in the forest sector. Prior to her current position, Ring was Virginia's state forester. Report shows Maine wood heat economic benefits The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry&rsquo;s Maine Forest Service recently released a report documenting the economic and environmental benefits of heating community, commercial and institutional buildings with modern wood chip and wood pellet technology and fuels produced in Maine. The Maine Forest Service analyzed the use of wood fuels in calendar year 2017 in hospitals, campuses, schools, municipal buildings and private businesses across the state. In the past 10 years, over 100 new installations have been made, nearly always replacing imported heating oil. Key findings of the analysis include savings in annual heating costs (versus average heating oil cost) was $5.5 million; direct spending on local fuels (wood pellets and wood chips instead of exporting fuel dollars for oil) was $6.3 million; and the total value of economic impact generated was $20.6 million. Maine pellet project awarded $200,000 grant A proposed wood pellet plant in Maine was recently awarded a $200,000 grant through the USDA&rsquo;s Rural Energy for America Program. The REAP award was announced by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine. According to information released by Pingree&rsquo;s office, T&amp;D Wood Energy LLC was awarded $200,000 in REAP funding to support the development of a $5.7 million wood pellet plant in Sanford, Maine. The midsized pellet plant will be built adjacent to an operating white pine sawmill. The pellet mill will utilize all the wood residues coming from that sawmill. It will also purchase additional wood waste residues from other sawmills in the region. A USDA fact sheet on the project states the project will generate more than 164 million kilowatt-hours annually, enough electricity to power 15,142 homes. Pinnacle completes Alabama pellet plant acquisition&nbsp; Pinnacle Renewable Holdings Inc. has closed the previously announced acquisition of a 70 percent interest in an industrial wood pellet production facility in Aliceville, Alabama, from the Westervelt Co. Westervelt, a diversified land resources company, has retained a 30 percent interest in the Aliceville facility. The plant has an annual production capacity of 270,000 metric tons. Approximately 210,000 metric tons per year of that capacity is committed under a long-term off-take contract to a major European utility. Pinnacle and Westervelt are currently undertaking a capital spending program to improve safety, product quality and plant efficiencies. &Oslash;rsted celebrates 50th anniversary of Studstrup Power Station &Oslash;rsted is celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of Denmark&rsquo;s largest power stations. The then coal-fired Studstrup Power Station was inaugurated in October 1968, and converted to fire wood pellets in October 2016. The power station&rsquo;s primary task is to produce green district heating for some 106,000 Aarhus homes. According to &Oslash;rsted, the facility consists of two units. While unit 3 is fueled by biomass, unit four is a spare unit fueled by coal. Unit three has the capacity to produce 360 MW of electricity and 510 megajouls per second of heat. As part of the conversion project, a storage silo with the capacity to store 65,000 metric tons of wood pellets was constructed at the power station, along with the installation of more than 800 meters of closed conveyor belts to transport wood pellets from the harbor to the silo and into the boiler. &Oslash;rsted has set a goal to phase out its use of coal completely by 2023.

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Business Briefs

The performance of a pellet plant greatly depends on feedstock quality and pretreatment. The usual difficulties in operation increase when the wood is infected with pests and varmints. Due to a dry and hot summer in Germany, we are expecting a lot more infected wood than usual. Here are some thoughts and clues to be better prepared for what is coming. Twenty to 30 percent of woody plants&rsquo; dry mass consists of lignin. While biological and chemical processes can break down lignin, higher-evolved organisms cannot, thus infestations by insects such as longhorn beetles do not decrease lignin in wood. Pelleting high ratios of infested wood in the feedstock mix, however, will cause major issues with stability and abrasion resistance. Plant cell walls are made of cellulose fibrils set in a matrix of pectins, hemicellulose, proteins and lignin. Cellulose is the backbone of the plant cell wall, characterized by its tensile strength, whereas lignin gives pressure strength, comparable to steel beams in a concrete ceiling. A healthy tree has multiple defense mechanisms against varmints. However, as soon as the bark is bruised, weakened by drought, or the tree is cut, varmints come along to lay eggs below the bark, in the wood, and the emerging larvae eat their way through. The most common green wood varmints are bark beetles, wood wasps, carpenter millers or longhorn beetles. There is also a variety of wet wood insects that need a fairly high moisture content to thrive. Often, the infected wood is not debarked and is already seized by fungi. Longhorn beetles are the most common green wood pest. About 26,000 species are known worldwide, with 200 in central Europe. Larvae are laid in the wood, where they develop and pupate. The active life of the adult is usually a maximum of 90 days, but in many species, 30 or less days. Adult beetles pose no threat to the wood, and some beetles are so rare that they are under species protection. Europe is mostly suffering from the red long horn beetle and the violet tanbark beetle. The biggest problem of varmints in green wood is larvae eating through in a hook-shaped path. Before pupating, larvae eat up to 1.5 inches horizontally into the heartwood, and gnaw a 1 to 1.5-inch-long vertical chrysalis chamber. These eating paths lead to a larger waste. A fungal infection is characterized by different destructive phenomena. White rot manifests itself in attacking the white matter, or lignin. The local lignin degradation creates honeycomb holes in the wood and turns it white. Brown rot mainly occurs on coniferous wood. It destroys the cellulose of the wood, leaving the lignin, which then turns the wood dark. The wood is cracked, crumbly and eventually decays. The questions at hand now are: How should infected wood be dealt with? Is it still pelletizable? Does it affect the pelleting process and the quality? The unsightly truth is yes, varmints have a great negative effect on the quality of pellets, especially the structural strength. Pellets with a high content of infected wood tend to break much faster and have higher abrasion. The infestation often comes multilateral, affecting both structural components of the wood. A fungal infestation destroys lignin; insects digest the cellulose. Even with only one infestation, the woody material is weakened, and the ratio between cellulose and lignin is misbalanced. Many pellet producers in Europe add starch as a binder, but there are certain limits to its addition (1 percent), and it does not substitute for the natural balance of cellulose and lignin. Eventually, it works more as a lubricant than an adhesive. A longer, effective press channel only pretends to have an effect. The pellets look shiny and good, but this is only on the surface, as they will still suffer from the weak structure of the wood. Also, the effective press channel is longer in North America than in Europe, so any prolongation possibilities are already exhausted.&nbsp; It is common to add water in the pelleting process, which helps release lignin and lowers stress on the equipment. Increasing the moisture content, however, has no effect on the binding characteristics if the wood is already damaged. The only solution is to mix the damaged wood with healthy, green wood, fresh wood chips and clean sawdust to lower the structure weakening effects of infested wood. In portfolio theory, risk mitigation is achieved by diversification. The same principle can be applied to feedstock management: By sourcing from many suppliers and different woody biomass types, a plant can process a more homogenous feedstock than it would relying on fewer sources. This applies not only to already-infested or overaged wood, because the risk of a quality change is given at any time. In the case of infested wood, we found that the share should not exceed 15 percent, and must be mixed thoroughly with healthy wood to avoid feedstock imbalances. Author: Holger Streetz International Operations Manager, Bathan AG h.streetz@bathan.ch +491-735918-550

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The performance of a pellet plant greatly depends on feedstock quality and pretreatment. 

Performance Despite Pests 

Last month, the Pellet Fuels Institute&rsquo;s board of directors met in Indianapolis for its final meeting of 2018. Prior to the meeting, our board chairman invited each board member to prepare a list of the most urgent, strategic priorities they would like to see PFI take on. The goal was to identify three that would guide the efforts of our organization as we move into 2019 and beyond. While the list of initiatives the PFI could focus on is certainly greater than a few, we felt it was important to limit ourselves to just three, in order to determine which emerged as the most critical for our board. Overwhelmingly, the promotion of wood pellets as a viable heating and cooking fuel to new users was identified as the PFI&rsquo;s top priority. This didn&rsquo;t come as a surprise to any of our board members, and I believe each of us came to Indianapolis knowing this priority is a continuation of our stated goal of re-establishing 100,000 units sold as the new floor for annual pellet heating appliance sales. &ldquo;Operation 100k&rdquo; has been a rallying cry for our organization throughout the year, sharpening our thinking on several fronts while inspiring a revitalization of our relationships with retailers and appliance manufacturers. Our social media beta test, launched in September, was inspired by our members&rsquo; desire to get more actively involved in the promotion of pellet appliances. Growing efforts like these, and imagining new ones that will educate, inform and excite consumers about wood pellet heating, is now&mdash;formally&mdash;priority one. Next, our board recognized that the PFI Standards Program is easily the most concrete offering the association has produced for the industry for quite a while, and that it&rsquo;s time to recommit ourselves to making sure that retailers and consumers know it. If we can build some momentum toward our priority of more units sold and installed, it is vital that the consumers and businesses who elect to purchase a wood pellet appliance have a quality experience. Fuel quality is central to optimal appliance performance, and wood pellet consumers deserve a clear and practical means of identifying wood pellets that they know, with assurance, will perform in their appliance. While the PFI is confident its standards program does exactly that, it isn&rsquo;t clear that consumers do. Moving into 2019, the PFI will take on that effort, as well as ancillary efforts including educating pellet retailers, appliance manufacturers and regulatory bodies about the value and utility of our standards program to their goals. Finally, recognizing that we&rsquo;re not likely to achieve our first two priorities without help, our board is recommitting the PFI to meaningful industry partnerships and collaboration with groups that share goals and challenges similar to ours. One of the hallmarks of this industry is how it is intrinsically tied to other industries. We obtain our feedstock from our partners in the forest products sector, depend upon appliance manufacturers to continue to innovate in our category, and rely upon a broad range of retailers to offer our product to consumers. It is relationships like these that we look forward to reimagining and revitalizing in our efforts to grow our market and protect our right to do business. During the Indianapolis meeting, the board repeatedly underscored the importance of active engagement with our partners. Wanting the same things and working toward the same things are different, and we&rsquo;re committed to finding initiatives and projects that materially connect to our two other priorities, and work in tandem with our partners. Now, our work is focused on identifying the tactics we will deploy to advance our strategic priorities. As an organization, we look forward to weaving these priorities into everything we say and do. Our committees now have an azimuth to guide their work, ensuring that what the PFI does on a day-to-day basis advances us toward our goals. We couldn&rsquo;t be more excited to get started. Author: Tim Portz Executive Director, Pellet Fuels Institute tim@pelletheat.org 651-398-9154

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Last month, the Pellet Fuels Institute's board of directors met in Indianapolis for its final meeting of 2018.

Charting Our Strategic Direction

For quite a while in the pellet export market, Asia has been viewed as the new Europe, a major driver being the biomass feed-in tariff rates set by the Japanese government. When these kinds of incentives are announced, for the energy industry, it&rsquo;s comparable to a modern-day Gold Rush. Things can change, however, and in this case, it seems they have&mdash;at least, to a degree. On page 22, Hawkins Wright Biomass Research Manager Rachael Levinson discusses some key policy changes in Japan that have shaken out some of the many proposed projects&mdash;a number so high the government was likely blindsided&mdash;and will probably be the demise of more. But new deals are still being signed and the market is still growing, Levingston writes, and it will continue to do so, just not at the expeditious rate previously anticipated. Moving to a country that I can&rsquo;t recall ever including in the pages of Pellet Mill Magazine, on page 10, Senior Editor Ron Kotrba digs deep into the roots of a biomass and pellet manufacturing initiative in Sri Lanka. Biomass Ventures&rsquo; ultimate goal is to build a robust feedstock supply chain from the ground up to feed pellet production for export and domestic power using Gliricidia Sepium trees, which are adapted to a wide range of agroclimatic and soil conditions and can be cultivated all over Sri Lanka. Partner growers have planted roughly 100 million Gliricidia trees to date, and Biomass Ventures founder Lucky Dissanayake says the aim is to plant 1 billion trees, and have 15 million tons per annum growing in Sri Lanka. Through the venture&rsquo;s subsidiary Trinco Pellets, the aim is to produce and sell pellets under long-term contracts to the Japanese market, by 2021-&lsquo;22. &ldquo;We have set a target of 150,000 tons of exports per year from a pellet manufacturing facility at Trincomalee, and then 150,000 tons of exports from Hambantota port,&rdquo; Biomass Ventures&rsquo; Alexis Corblin tells Kotrba. Finally, the U.S. Industrial Wood Pellet Association&rsquo;s Seth Ginther answered a collection of questions I had for him in &ldquo;Maintaining Momentum,&rdquo; on page 18. In the Q&amp;A, he covers everything from industry growth to past and present policy, to new opportunities on the horizon, as well as his perspective on the U.S. increasing its market share in Asia. &ldquo;We see a lot of potential in the Asian markets,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;The U.S. South has an abundance of lower-grade, affordable feedstock&hellip;all market projections indicate we will experience a surplus of this feedstock for the foreseeable future. This makes the region a very competitive supplier for both Japan and South Korea.&rdquo; Undoubtedly, vast opportunity remains in Asian energy markets&mdash;which, if you haven&rsquo;t yet guessed, is the theme of this month&rsquo;s issue. It will be exciting and interesting to watch it all unfold, as the global pellet market continues to evolve, expand and, inevitably, compete.&nbsp; Author: Anna Simet Editor asimet@bbiinternational.com

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Undoubtedly, vast opportunity remains in Asian energy markets. It will be exciting and interesting to watch it all unfold, as the global pellet market continues to evolve, expand and, inevitably, compete.  


November/December Pellet Mill

Business Briefs

Business Briefs

Columns

Performance Despite Pests

Charting Our Strategic Direction

Ever-Evolving Markets

Featured

Maintaining Momentum

Joining Forces

Cultivating Sri Lankan Supply

Contributions

Biomass Storage: Fire Suppression Using Nitrogen Inerting

Asian Biomass Market: Growing Despite Policy Setbacks

November/December Pellet Mill.css-7jxktu{position:absolute;bottom:0px;left:0px;right:0px;height:3px;border-radius:3px;background-color:var(--chakra-colors-brandBlack);}

Business Briefs

Business Briefs

Columns

Performance Despite Pests

Charting Our Strategic Direction

Ever-Evolving Markets

Featured

Maintaining Momentum

Joining Forces

Cultivating Sri Lankan Supply

Contributions

Biomass Storage: Fire Suppression Using Nitrogen Inerting

Asian Biomass Market: Growing Despite Policy Setbacks

November/December Pellet Mill