Biomass Pellets: An Alternative Fuel for Coal Power Plants?
The supply of sustainable or green energy is the main challenge that mankind will face over the coming decades, especially because of the need to address climatic changes. Biomass being abundantly available in nature can make a substantial contribution to cater future energy demands in a sustainable way. Currently, it is the largest universal contributor of green energy and has significant potential to expand in the production of electricity, heat and fuels.
However, handling as well as direct combustion of biomass is restrained due to peculiar properties of this kind of fuel. As raw biomass possesses low density (30-50 kg/m3) and high moisture content that limits its usage for energy purposes and it needs to be densified prior to its use. The compact and densified biomass possess a high magnitude of density as well as low moisture content which in turn helps to dwindle technical limitations associated with storage, handling and transportation. One immediate solution is the pelletisation of raw biomass that enhances its energy efficiency and enables the competition of biomass with other types of fuels.
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One immediate solution is the pelletisation of raw biomass that enhances its energy efficiency and enables the competition of biomass with other types of fuels. Besides, biomass pellet technology has gained a rapid momentum in many European countries. The future of the biomass pellet industry is greatly influenced by various environmental, economic, political as well as social aspects that create a multiplex relation among suppliers, producers and consumers. Therefore, the main aim of this chapter is to develop a comprehensive review of biomass processing that involves pellet production technology, energy efficiency of biomass pellet, current status, opportunities and challenges for the development of biomass pellet market.
Biomass pellets are biomass fuels derived from solid waste, agricultural residue, and forestry residue. Some of the commonly used raw materials in the production of biomass pellets include sawmill residue, tree barks, branches, leaves, rice husk, sugarcane bagasse, coconut shell, cotton stalk, etc. Biomass pellets are used as biofuels for commercial and residential heating, power generation, cooking, and other applications. Biomass pellets are clean burning and renewable sources of fuel, which generally emit less particulate emissions.