The Benefits of Drying Biomass

In light of the exponential growth of the biomass boiler sales in the UK due in most part because of the RHI, the demand for fuel has also grown exponentially. However due to the time required to air season fuel (6-18 months) the market has struggled to keep up with demand and the result is a massive opportunity for those looking to force dry biomass fuels.

The benefits of drying biomass fuels are numerous:

  • Drying allows a fast and efficient conversion of wet, freshly harvested timber into useable fuel in days rather than months.
  • Removes the need for space associated with air seasoning timber over 6-18months.
  • Allows fuel suppliers to react fast to market demand.
  • Financial viability through the renewable heat incentives (RHI).
  • Production of high grade biomass fuel to 20-25% moisture content, ideal for biomass boilers.
  • Ability to utilise waste heat or heat derived from low grade biomass further enhancing the financial viability.
  • Production of dry fuel inline with demand; exact quantity of fuel can be contract dried when required.

Utilising Waste Heat

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Anaerobic Digestion

  • An ideal use of waste heat from AD facilities.
  • L-ENZ can also replace the need for an emergency cooler.
  • Suitable for installations with thermal outputs of between 100-1000kw

Combined Heat & Power

  • L-ENZ unit can be located in generator room to ventilate & cool then topping up with “waste” thermal energy to efficiently dry biomass fuel.
  • Thermal energy can be extracted from the ‘waste’ thermal energy from the electricity generation.

Using Waste Wood – Biomass

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Whilst it makes no sense to use high grade biomass as a fuel to dry more high grade biomass, it does however provide a viable solution to use low grade waste wood as a fuel to dry higher grade material. For this reason, biomass boilers such as the Heizomat RHK-AK series provide an ideal combustion system for using material that would ordinarily not be as sellable.

The key to utilising biomass fuel as the heat inout for drying is the ability to low grade fuel such as:

  • chip from ‘lop and top’ and brash wood with higher bark:wood ratio
  • sawdust & shavings
  • rape straw and miscanthus

Lauber L-ENZ and Heizomat Biomass Boilers

  • The Lauber L-ENZ and Heizomat RHK-AK boilers provide a synergistic combination of German technologies.
  • We provide complete systems @ 100, 198, 500 and 990kw.
  • Providing profitable, sustainable and efficient solutions to drying biomass fuel.

L-ENZ Drying Units

Drying Floors & Bins

Complete Drying Solutions