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Biomass CostsTo capture and store energy requires some form of system or process, and the case is true for biomass. So what are the costs of biomass to capture, store and use the energy potential of biomass. Well, depending of the source of biomass, the raw material costs can differ dramatically. Biomass is a collective term to describe an organic material that can potentially used to generate heat, electricity or another source of power and energy. However, obviously some biomass materials are more abundant than others, some grow faster than others and also important some biomass materials are simply better and producing energy. The way biomass energy should be approached is though looking at what sources of biomass we currently generate in other industries. The general sources of biomass for energy are wood, straws, grasses and energy crops. With the exception of energy crops, wood, straw and grasses are produced in large volumes from other industries. In many cases, much of this biomass is still regarded as a waste and can be obtained for free and costs nothing. Take the timber industry for example, through processing timber there are large volumes of sawdust generated which can be used for biomass. This sawdust up until a decade ago was routinely taken to land fill. No only did the manufacturers not generate any return on the sawdust, it was also costing them in landfill taxes. Wood pellet manufactures then started to collect this sawdust saving the manufacture in landfill taxes. Now in some areas, the demand for sawdust is so high, the timber manufactures generate a healthy income from selling sawdust. Biomass Efficiency and Upgrading Costs Biomass in its raw form is expensive to transport and does not burn well, therefore some form of processing is required. Processing biomass into pellet form is the cheapest and most practical solution in most instances, however there are some costs involved in paying for and operating the pellet plant. However these costs can be reduced through sourcing quality second hand equipment and also operating the plant from free biomass. Biomass can be upgraded into a gas to run a generator which can make a big difference in the running costs of the biomass pellet plant. Biomass Burner and Biomass Furnaces Costs are also involved in purchasing a new biomass combustion system, however due to reduction in fuel costs, the costs of the new biomass system can be recovered within a few years. Now, these biomass combustion systems are not your basic log stoves, which which require a lot of time and work to run. Modern pellet systems require very little maintenance, and can run for days even weeks without any work from the owner. So there are costs involved in installing a biomass system, however there are more costs to be saved in fuel costs over the long and short term. Biomass Production Costs of Pellets The process of pellet production obviously has costs involved in setting up a plant and operating it. However without the correct knowledge, the costs could be a great deal more. You require the right knowledge to know which equipment is right for your raw material to reduce the risks and costs of making fuel pellets. |
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The Wood Pellet Production Guide © PelHeat Ltd - Biomass Costs |
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