“Torrefied Wood, A Bio-Energy Option That Is Ready to Go”: A Biomass Digest Special Report
by Tim Sklar (Biomass Digest) …Woody biomass is ideally suited not only to the manufacture of 2nd generation liquid biofuels. Woody biomass is even better suited to producing TW. When woody biomass undergoes torrefaction all of the components are used, without having to separate out each component for separate treatment, prior to producing biofuels. In other words, cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin, the components of woody biomass are processed in chip form to produce synthetic gas and carbonaceous residuals that end up as TW.
Forestry waste is the form of woody biomass that is most suited to making biofuels, especially TW, as much of this waste is either not used or at best, is used as a marginal fuel. Forestry wastes can be supplemented by other wood wastes when they can be obtained on a reliable basis at competitive prices. The following is a more precise description of the forestry wastes that are most suitable for this use.
… There are three compelling reasons for undertaking torrefaction of wood waste at this point in time.
- First, the cost of producing TW is affordable.
- Second, TW can be readily sold at relatively high prices.
- Third, the cost of building a commercial scale torrefaction plant is only a fraction of the investment needed for a comparably sized biorefinery.
What makes the conversion of wood waste into TW even more attractive at this point in time is that torrefaction technology has advanced far enough to be considered commercially viable, thereby making project risks manageable. This is supported by the fact that a number of torrefaction pilot plants are successfully operating and at least three commercial scale torrefaction plants are currently being built. READ MORE
