Helsinki, 17 September 2014
SECTOR - Production of Solid Sustainable
Energy Carriers from Biomass by Means of
Torrefaction
A European R&D Project funded within the Seventh Programme by the European
Commission
Biomass resources and quality requirements for
torrefaction
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Principal scientist Eija Alakangas, VTT
© 1,5,6: ECN; 2-4 Jasper Lensselink
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
1
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
The SECTOR project

Collaborative project: SECTOR

Duration:
1.1.2012 – 30.6.2015

Total budget:
€10 Million

Participants:
21 from 9 EU-countries

Coordinator:
DBFZ, Germany
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
2
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Project structure
© DBFZ
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
3
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Objectives of Biomass market assessment of feedstocks
 Assessment of available biomass potential for
production of torrefied pellets for both forest and
agricultural feedstock.
 Market demand and raw material and torrefied biomass
quality requirements with special emphasis on cofiring
with coal in PC-boilers.
 To select broad set of raw materials for experimental
work in laboratory, pilot and demonstration scale.
 The work is to be performed by combining and updating
the existing information from the partners and available
literature and enquiries to market actors.
© Image from Andritz
Image © Andritz
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
4
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Market assessment & selection of biomass feedstock
 Biomass potentials
• Based on existing studies – technical available potential in EU and
worldwide assessed
• Also price levels of raw material were estimated
 Quality demands from producers and end users
• End-users work carried out by first questionnaire to partners and
also to some coal fired utilities using wood pellets
• Second questionnaire to producers (SECTOR partners and
International Biomass Torrefaction Council (IBTC) members).
 Profiles of selected raw material
• Classification of raw material according to EN 14961-1 standard
• Done in 2 phases
• Property information from literature and SECTOR laboratory tests
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
5
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Summary of woody biomass resources in Europe
Source
Stem wood
Landscape management wood
residues
Forest residues
By-products and residues from
wood processing industry
Used wood
Total EU-27
1,000 solid m3
PJ/a
195 656
59 000
1 438
514
166 438
92 164
1 186
644
52 000
506 258
397
3 664
9 300
103 900
6 560
67
748
157
Other EUROPE
Ukraine
North-West Russia
Belarus, Norway, Switzerland
Sources: BEE-project and EU-Wood project
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
6
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Wood energy potentials in EU-27 (PJ/a)
700
600
Used
wood
500
400
300
200
100
Byproducts
from
forest
industries
Primary
forest
residues
0
Source: VTT
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
7
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
8
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Summary of agricultural biomass potentials in EU
Resource
Cereal straw
PJ/a
560
Source
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
600
DBFZ, Thrän et al. 2010
960
BIOMASS FUTURES, Elbersen et al 2012
983
MTT, Pahkala & Lötjönen 2012
25
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
36
MTT, Pahkala & Lötjönen 2012 (EU-25)
Sunflower
34
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
Rice husk
9
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
Corn residues
85
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
Pruning residues, total
423
BIOMASS FUTURES, Elbersen et al 2012
Sugar beet
•
Vineyard residues
14
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
•
Olive three prunings
28
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
Energy crops, vegetable diet
3 465
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
742
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
Energy crops, mixed diet
Perennial herbaceous biomass
Agricultural residues (sugar beet, legume, potato, oil
plants)
Miscanthus
1 642
656
3 324 – 7 651
BIOMASS FUTURES, Elbersen et al 2012
MTT, Pahkala & Lötjönen 2012
RENEW, Seyfried et al. 2004
Reed canary grass (theoretical)
8 110
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
Woody crops (poplar, theoretical)
12 713
BEE, Böttcher et al. 2010
Short rotation coppice
2 576 – 5 447
RENEW, Seyfried et al. 2004
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
9
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Global biomass potentials
 Global technical potential for straw is around 13,317
PJ/a – maize, sugar cane, rice and wheat - China.
 Palm fruit residues has high potential, more than
260,000 PJ/a – Malaysia and Indonesia.
 Bagasse 3,647 PJ/a – Brazil, India, China
 Bamboo is cultivated in
some 37 million hectares
and growing stock is
about 389 million tons.
Global technical straw potential, PJ/a. Source: DBFZ
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
10
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Requirements of raw material and quality of final product
(producers)
 Raw material
• Only woody biomass (forest residues, segregated wood) has been
used and no experiences of agrobiomass have been gathered.
• Quality: 9 MJ/kg (ar), 3–10% ash, particle size (30–50 mm, P31 or
P45), moisture <50w-% (dried to 10w-%)
• Free of metals, plastics, stones and other impurities, not frozen,
no glowing ambers
• Wood transported by trucks, ships and trains and stored indoor
storage or sheltered by flying roof.
 Final product
• Pellets or briquettes
• Ash (0.5-10%), moisture (2-10%), Fines (1–5%), DU 90-98%,
net calorific value (18 -34 MJ/kg), bulk density (720-850 kg/m3),
Volatile matter (65–80%), fixed carbon (15–30%)
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
11
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Quality demands for final product (end-users)
 The most important properties are (end-users):
• net calorific value as received (Q) (19–23 MJ/kg)
• ash content (A) (2–3%, one response <10%)
• particle size distribution (P) and
 Typical requirements for particle size distribution of hard coal are
less than 20% larger than 90 µm and 100% smaller than 200 µm.
Particle size distribution for industrial wood pellets (EN ISO 17225-2:2014)
Property (standard)
Particle size distribution of disintegrated pellets, (ISO 17830)
Unit
w‐% dry
I1
≥ 99% (< 3,15 mm) ≥ 95% (< 2,0 mm) ≥ 60% (< 1,0 mm)
I2
≥ 98% (< 3,15 mm) ≥ 90% (< 2,0 mm) ≥ 50% (< 1,0 mm)
I3
≥ 97% (< 3,15 mm) ≥ 85% (< 2,0 mm) ≥ 40% (< 1,0 mm)
• moisture (M) (<10w-%)
• Other properties
 minerals like chlorine, calcium, potassium and sodium (so called
alkalis).
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
12
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Cofiring and use of coal mills (end-users)
 Current use of wood pellets/torrefied pellets and
cofiring ratios
• Short term cofiring and cogasification tests with coal
• Both torrefied and steam exploded pellets used
 Possibilities to use coal mills
• To be checked the following: energy density, which affects to
fuel volume flow, shape and structure, bulk density have impact
to handling system
• Can easily be co-milled in the existing coal mills
(torrefied are non-fibrous like white pellets)
• Requirements of particle size is important, risk of dusting,
CO and VOC emissions to be checked.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
13
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Other still open questions (end-users)
 Investments needed for use of torrefied pellets
• Unknown, because no large-scale demonstration carried out.
• Possibility to store outdoor?
Is investment needed for covered storage?
• Can not be conveyed with coal?
Investment for parallel conveying system?
• Co-grindability?
Can plant use same mill as for coal?
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
14
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Use of agrobiomass and demand (end-users)
 Possibilities to use torrefied agrobiomass
• Only small amounts used, qualities and risks/benefits are
unknown.
• Agrobiomass contains higher amounts of chlorine, potassium
and sodium – problems in steam boilers, if heat surfaces are not
planned for fuels containing corrosive elements.
• Estimated cofiring ratio 10 to 20%.
• Fuel prices can become competitive.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
15
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Estimation of demand of pellets/torrefied pellets
Wood pellet cofiring potential
(5 % with coal) in more than 100 existing
pulverised coal-fired plants in Europe
 Total coal use was 772 million
tons in Europe in 2012.
 Biggest coal users in Europe are
Germany, Poland, Ukraine,
United Kingdom and Czech
Republic.
 By torrefied pellets replacement
could be as high as 50%*, this
makes European market hugely
significant.
*Source: Wilén, C., Jukola, P., Järvinen, T., Sipilä, K. Verhoeff, F. & Kiel, J. 2013. Wood torrefaction – pilot tests and utilisation prospects, VTT Technology 122. 73 p. http://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/technology/2013/T122.pdf
Source: Pöyry
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
16
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Selected raw materials for lab and pilot tests
No.
Selected feedstock (pilot test marked by bold, 12 raw materials)
Test type to perform
1
Delimbed coniferous stem wood without bark : Pine and spruce (Reference 1)
Lab and pilot
2
3
4
Logging residue, coniferous
Straw, wheat (Nordic conditions)
Used wood – post consumer wood, recycled wood, chemically untreated
Lab and pilot
Lab
Lab and pilot
5
6
Bark
Delimbed broadleaves stem wood with bark: Beech (Reference 2)
Lab
Lab and pilot
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Poplar
Straw (Oat and wheat, Southern conditions)
Prunings from olive trees –woody biomass
Eucalyptus
Paulownia
Bamboo
Palm oil residues (e.g. Oil palm fruit bunch, palm kernel or shell)
Lab and pilot
Lab and pilot
Lab and pilot
Lab and pilot
Lab and pilot
Lab and pilot
Lab
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Bagasse
Corn cobs
Miscanthus
Sun flower residues
Willow (Salix)
Reed canary grass
Straw, barley (Nordic conditions)
Lab and pilot
Lab
Lab
Lab
Lab and pilot
Lab
Lab
21
Rape straw
Lab
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
17
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Selection criteria of raw materials
 Availability of raw material based on resources
available
 Raw materials were agreed jointly with involved
partners and based on requirements of experimental
work packages.
 Increased emphasis was laid on straw, forest wood and
their residues
 Selection was made to raw material for laboratory
or/and pilot tests
 Two materials were selected for reference material
• Coniferous wood chips from stem wood without bark
• Broadleaf wood chips with bark
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
18
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Example of profile no 1 – Reference raw material
1.
QUALITY INFORMATION FOR TORREFACTION
1.1
Quality data of biomass for torrefaction
Property
Typical value
Traded form (e.g. chips) EN 14961-1, Table 2
Particle size, P (Dimension /nominal size, mm,
use) EN 15149-1, screen size according ISO
3310
3
Bulk density (BD), kg/m EN 15103
Wood chips, saw dust
Variation (min. – max.)
330
310 – 350
Moisture as received, M (w-%), EN 14774-1 or 3
< 50
30 – 55
P45 or P65(wood chips)
1 – 5 mm (sawdust)
Amount of fines, F, w-% (≤ 3,15 mm) EN 15149-1 12
1 -19,6
Hemicelluloses content, w-% dry *)
25 – 28
Cellulose content, w-% dry *)
40
40- 45
Lignin content, w-% dry *)
30
24 -33
C (w-% dry), EN 15104
51
48 – 50
H (w-% dry) EN 15104
6,0
6 – 6,5
O (w-% dry) calculated
40
38 – 42
Volatile content, VM (w-% dry) EN 15148
86
80 – 90
Net calorific value, dry MJ/kg EN 14918
19,3
18,5 – 19,8
Add other properties, S, w-% dry
0,05
Chlorine, Cl, w-% dry
< 0,01
1
Source : SECTOR Partners
2
Source : Alakangas, E. Analysis of particle size of wood chips and hog fuel – ISO/TC 238, VTT-R02834-12. 28 p.
1.2
Reactivity of feedstock
Indicator
Torrefaction degree by TGA
(Thermogravimetric analysis)
Source: SECTOR Feedback
Weight loss at 280-290 °C with residence time of 30
minutes at T> 200ºC (% AWL)
~28%
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
19
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
Summary
 Combination of a variety of existing studies with a focus on
materials suitable for torrefaction, which has not been done
before.
 This gives a comprehensive overview and a starting point for
material selection with regard to torrefaction and leads to
added value for the project partners and the wider
torrefaction community.
 Results of questionnaires on quality demands of producers
and end users helped to find key research challenges for
further development in SECTOR project.
 Requirements of raw material and quality issues helps
ISO/TC 238 WG2 to develop a product standard ISO 17225-8
for thermally treated and densified biomass fuels.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
20
Helsinki, 17 September 2014
© Karl‐Heinz Liebisch/PIXELIO
thank you very much for your attention – Kiitos !
SECTOR Coordination: Prof. Dr.‐Ing. Daniela Thrän
DBFZ gGmbH
Torgauer Str. 116
04347 Leipzig
Germany
www.dbfz.de
SECTOR WP 2 leader
Eija Alakangas, principal scientist
VTT
[email protected]
More information on SECTOR project
info@sector‐project.eu
URL: www.sector‐project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration
under grant agreement n° 282826
21