Densified Biomass Fuel Pellets
Clean, renewable and efficient energy
already contains natural bonding agents. Biomass pellets are very clean and easily handled without any contamination.
The business will relieve problems of disposal of the residues from harvesting of timber plantations in the Great Southern Region as well as the fire, and occupational health and safety, hazard represented by these residues.
Carbon-friendly fuel source
As a processed natural biofuel the pellets are carbon neutral because the source material is readily replaced as the plantations are regenerated. Therefore, there is no net emission of carbon when biomass pellets are used to produce energy. Accordingly, wood pellets have a huge and immediate ability to reduce global emissions of carbon from industrial power generation. In addition, pellets can be used alongside other fossil fuels to co-fire power generation plants.
The market for pellets
Established industrial and power generation markets in Europe
Increased emissions of green house gases (GHG) to the atmosphere during the last century and since then have contributed to global warming with projected temperatures to increase by 3 – 5 degrees celsius over the next 100 years. This projected increase in temperature will result in the loss of species, inundation from rising sea levels of many countries and will severely impact on life as we currently know it. Global warming has thus led to increased interest and demand for carbon neutral and renewable energy sources such as biofuels.
DBF in the form of fuel pellets are an important heating fuel source with an energy value approximating bituminous coal. The use of pellets is expected to increase over the coming years due to it being a carbon neutral energy source that generates zero green house gases from combustion and extremely low levels of green house gases from harvesting, processing and transportation. The increased utilisation of wood residues, straw and industrial by-products in the Nordic countries, the rest of Europe and in North America have proven that fuel pellets can become a realistic alternative to fossil fuels. Legislated changes in Europe with respect to imposed limits in GHG has expanded the market for DBF as a heating fuel and as a cheap alternative for coal fired power stations to reduce GHG emissions by co-burning DBF after making slight modifications to their existing plant. Co-burning coal with DBF results in an immediate effective reduction in GHG emissions.
Emerging domestic and retail markets
In addition to the power generation market, pellets have become a very popular fuel for domestic residential heating in Europe and North America. This creates a significant secondary market for Plantation Energy and has the further potential to open up a market for domestic application of biomass heating within Australia and other locations.
Modern pellet appliances with automated feed systems i.e. fires or central heating boilers are both attractive and practical. In addition, pellet stoves are 8-10 times more efficient than open fireplaces and similar in efficiency to natural gas furnaces. They can be installed with minimal fuss and are clean and easy to operate, producing little dust or ash, thus allergy-free.