Wood Pellet production

[sandbach-sticks]

I am looking at producing wood pellets, as the amount of sawdust we produce is increasing, does anyone have any info regarding machinery etc. I understand that some cheap machines are useless specially if the sawdust isn't really dry?

[armchairarborist]

a client of mine has one, it really needs to be dry sawdust as too much moisture would prevent the cellulose from compressing into pellets as easily, not a problem for this guy as he works with very dry wood in his joinery shop.

[renewablejohn]

I am looking at producing wood pellets, as the amount of sawdust we produce is increasing, does anyone have any info regarding machinery etc. I understand that some cheap machines are useless specially if the sawdust isn't really dry?

 

I hope you have deep pockets and the patience of a saint because you will need it.

[sandbach-sticks]

Does that mean there not easy to produce John?

[renewablejohn]

Does that mean there not easy to produce John?

 

Its a bit like baking bread. You have the same ingredients but for some unknown reason every loaf is different.

 

Moisture content is critical and needs to be between 8-12% anymore and the die blocks up and then its a strip down drill out 500 holes and reassemble.

Your sawdust will probably need refining but a good quality pellet press will have a built in refiner.

Even when you have created your pellet it needs to be cooled and dust extracted. Finally it needs to be kept perfectly dry normally by sealing in plastic bags but I use plastic pharmaceutical barrels as I could not guarantee quality in plastic bags due to traders storing outside even when instructed that the bags had to be kept in the dry.

 

I produce both pellets and briquettes and given what I know now then briquettes are far easier then pellets and I sell both at similar prices per tonne.

[sandbach-sticks]

I take it your advice would be to put it in fine mesh nets and continue selling it as hmster bedding then?

[renewablejohn]

I take it your advice would be to put it in fine mesh nets and continue selling it as hmster bedding then?

 

Either that or sell it to somebody like me who already has a briquette and pellet press. You can get approx £250 per tonne for briquettes and the cheapest briquette press is 10k but the quality will not be great. For a quality press you can easily spend 60k.

If it was me for that sort of money (10k) I would install a small gasification plant and generate renewable energy both electric and heat. With government incentives for ROC's and the proposed RHI it could be a good little earner.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Either that or sell it to somebody like me who already has a briquette and pellet press. You can get approx £250 per tonne for briquettes and the cheapest briquette press is 10k but the quality will not be great. For a quality press you can easily spend 60k.

If it was me for that sort of money (10k) I would install a small gasification plant and generate renewable energy both electric and heat. With government incentives for ROC's and the proposed RHI it could be a good little earner.

 

completley out of my comfort zone this topic but its great to see we all have our own bits to contribute to this great site.

 

goood info John:thumbup1:

[mikey10]

Either that or sell it to somebody like me who already has a briquette and pellet press. You can get approx £250 per tonne for briquettes and the cheapest briquette press is 10k but the quality will not be great. For a quality press you can easily spend 60k.

If it was me for that sort of money (10k) I would install a small gasification plant and generate renewable energy both electric and heat. With government incentives for ROC's and the proposed RHI it could be a good little earner.

 

What do you pay for sawdust, did you ever get your plant up and running at bristol which you spoke about to make briquettes, Mike

[renewablejohn]

What do you pay for sawdust, did you ever get your plant up and running at bristol which you spoke about to make briquettes, Mike

 

So long as its less than 15% MC then minimum of £5 tonne.

 

As for Bristol the multi national company refused to sell the plant and equipment so it all fell through. With the way the recession is going I am quite pleased it did as it would have been a large liability.