Why torrefaction instead of raw (white) pellets?
Torrefaction (roasting at a high temperature in an oxygen free environment) is not new. It has been used to roast coffee beans for over a hundred years. It has taken time, however, to apply this technology to evenly roasting wood chips and ground biomass that is not uniform in size. Densification of the torrefied biomass product into pellets or briquettes for economic transport has also taken time to perfect. Benefits of torrefaction:
Torrefaction is an exothermic operation
Once the torrefier has heated up and is fully operating, it creates more energy in the form of heat than it consumes. It does not need any more supplemental heat. Furthermore, the excess heat produced during HM3 Energy’s torrefaction process is recirculated for use back to the torrefier, to dry the incoming feedstock and to assist with the post densification curing process.
- Fibrous Wood Becomes Brittle – Just like roasted coffee beans, wood becomes a dark chocolate brown and brittle. This allows for easy grinding, just like coal, in the coal plant pulverizer prior to being fed to the boiler.
- Water Resistant – Properly densified biocoal is water resistant, just like coal, for easy shipping and storage.
