Sustainability requirements and compliance costs have to be known and the wood basket has to be able to supply certified fibre at volumes and pricing as expected; • Avoid fibre baskets that have com-peting pulp mills, board plants or other wood pellet plants that may demand the same wood; • Have a strategy that provides as con-sistent a species mix and quality as possible. The feedstock should be clean and free of dirt, stones or for-eign debris (garbage in is garbage out). Bad quality feedstock deteri-orates pellet quality and durability. Lower quality feedstock and variable species mix also stresses the equip-ment and increases operating costs. Often to cut costs, lower cost, lower quality feedstock is used. In almost all cases, the cheap option becomes the expensive. Maximizing operational uptime and minimizing production interruptions begins with understanding the signifi-cant importance of fibre preparation and homogenization as the fibre is presented before each process centre. FIBRE PREPARATION: • • • • Blend species at consistent ratios; Protect chips and sawdust residues from extreme weather conditions, if possible. Heavy rain and/or snow will cause production slowdowns or interruptions and dryer throughput constraints; and Presenting completely homogenized feedstock of consistent species, par-ticle size, and moisture level, will ensure the efficient production of consistent quality pellets. PROCESS FLOW AND TECHNICAL DESIGN We often say that the manufacturing pro-cess of wood pellets is 70 per cent tech-nical and 30 per cent art. Engineers may get the 70 per cent right (or may not!), but if the 30 per cent art (experience, knowledge, skill and wisdom) is not acknowledged, the project could spend many years in its commis-sioning phase or scuttled due to impa-tience on realizing the expected rate of return on the investment. A flawed process flow design and improperly specified and/or poorly engi-neered material handling systems can become a big and enduring headache for project operators, owners, developers and investors. We know from experience that in most cases having the project design and pro-cess equipment selection reviewed by an expert in pellet plant operations will result in a project that transitions from construc-tion to full operation faster and a project that is much more likely to meet or exceed industry benchmarks. Relying on an EPC claiming to have the knowledge and expe-rience to deliver an operating plant on time and on budget is a gamble. They may have several projects under their belt, and that is a positive, but they typically do not have the benefit of operations experi-ence. Project developers that tap into the wisdom of those that have seen it all and already know all the wrong ways to do things and advise the engineering firm on design and equipment specifications are more likely to have far fewer headaches. Final informed decisions on selecting process equipment for the correct size and capacity for the desired performance should be the responsibility of the project developer under the guidance of a sea-soned pellet-making expert. The per-ceived de-risking of the project by relying on an equipment supplier to provide performance guarantees may lead to an under-performing process centre and pos-sible litigation. Meanwhile, diminished or zero production means diminished or zero cash flow. We’re not suggesting that not all engi-neering firms and equipment suppliers serving the wood pellet industry aren’t qualified or lack knowledge and experi-ence; many are highly qualified. But they are typically missing the 30 per cent. Without a holistic understanding of the entire process flow and the complexity of the interactions between fibre charac-teristics and conversion to pellets, even the best operating staff will be challenged if the flow of material and the quality of the material are erratic. Decisions on the correct design and placement of wood yard equipment, dryer island, hammer mills, pellet mills, coolers, material handling (conveyance systems), and product storage require wood pellet manufacturing knowledge and operations experience. Your global equipment supplier for the biomass industry ANDRITZ is one of the world’s leading suppliers of techno logies, systems, and services re lating to equipment for the bio mass pelleting industry. We offer single machines for the production of solid and liquid biofuel and waste pellets. We have the abili ty to manu-facture and supply each and every key processing machine in the pel-let production line. ANDRITZ Feed & Biofuel A/S Europe, Asia, and South America: [email protected] USA and Canada: [email protected] www.andritz.com Canadian BIOMASS 17
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