SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 The owners of a British Columbia logging company did everything right when they downsized a full-scale harvesting operation to become a highly efficient wood fibre producer. Pellet pioneer Energex looks to developing domestic co-firing and its own torrefaction process to secure its future. The designers of a major hospital project have kept their options open when it comes to the facility’s energy needs, with biomass a viable alternative to fossil sources. For export power production and many domestic uses, briquettes are ready to give pellets a run for their money in the North American densi-fied biomass marketplace. DEPARTMENTS News This comprehensive round-up of biomass dryers is an excellent refer-ence for any facility that needs to regulate the moisture content of large volumes of wood chips, sawdust, hog fuel, and other materials. “Predicting poor markets is one thing; responding is another. Energex took advantage of its slow winter to push its pellet torrefaction development into high gear.” Read the full story on page 18 COLUMNS Briquettes step up Long-term productivity Facility best practices Finding markets Our Cover Briquettes are versatile and can be made from a variety of materials, including sawdust (left), wood chips (centre), and torrefied wood (right). Story on page 10. CanadianBIOMASS 3
Canadian Biomass September/October 2010: Page 3
