BURNINGissues WOODY BIOMASS TRADE DOUBLES Continued from previous page the BC Interior to Europe. WRQ concludes that the rapid expansion in global trade of biomass is likely to continue over at least the next three to fi ve years as more countries fa- vour renewable energy, and local supplies of biomass are reaching their limits. Yet just how long this can last given climbing shipping costs and the paradox of using fossil fuels to send green energy to Europe is the big question WRQ asks. And that is why many local pellet producers are keen to develop a domestic market. www. woodprices.com. COMBUSTION EXPERT OFFERS NEW VERSATILE BIOMASS SYSTEM Trois-Rivières, QC – Combustion Expert Inc. has a new biomass burning system that is both com- pact and effi cient, the Quebec- based supplier says. Its ST Series can be installed on boilers up to 800 hp, and offers a host of advantages, including: • Quick manufacturing time • Possibility to convert existing boilers (water or fire tubes) • Compact, space saving design • Possibility to assemble in a mobile unit • Remote monitoring and parameter control • Low initial investment com- pared to a conventional system Compact and able to burn biomass up to 60% MC, the ST Series biomass burning system can provide heat and/ or process heat. • Anti-backfire security • Automatic ash exhaust. The feeding process consists MAKING PELLETS THE MAINE HEAT Home heating systems with bulk pellet delivery and automated feeding systems similar to this one from Sweden will be delivered to homeowners across Maine this fall. million to launch a company with the lofty goal of intro- ducing pellet-based heating systems to thousands of homes in the US Bethel, ME – Total domestic pellet consumption in the US is already high at nearly one million tons, but on a per capita basis is quite low compared to many European countries. Pellet entrepreneurs and heating oil companies in Maine are starting to work together to change that. For one, Maine Energy Systems of Bethel, ME, is investing $10 northeast, helping them convert from outrageously priced oil to pellets. Its goal according to the Portland Press Herald is to convert 44,000 homes in Maine alone, and to work in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and Mas- sachusetts as well. The company says although twice the price of an oil boiler, a pellet heating system will save the average northeast home over $1,000 per year, paying for itself inside of seven years at the current price differential. Maine Energy Systems (MESys) is a growing company formed by local businessmen trying to keep jobs and money in Maine. They are winding up for the 2008-2009 heating season by offering totally automated pellet burning and boiler systems to Maine residents, along with at- tractive fi nancing in cooperation with a local bank. The European systems come from Bosch and Janfire AB, and allow bulk delivery using Prince George a hit with bioenergy crowd Prince George, BC – Organizers of the Third International Bioenergy Conference and Exhibition in Prince George, BC say the event was by all accounts a great success. Sitting in a local bar at the time with energy traders from all over Europe and Canadian forest sector participants, I’d have to agree that interest was high. The conference saw 400 delegates 12 CanadianBIOMASS from 20 countries, 50 exhibitors and 35 speakers, at what is fast becoming a must attend on the bioenergy conference cir- cuit. BioEnergy 2010 takes place from June 1 - 3, 2010 in Prince George. Check www.bioenergyconference.org for the latest news on the Fourth International BioEnergy Conference and Exhibition. AUGUST 2008 pneumatic oil-style trucks and outdoor hopper storage systems. Bulk pellet contracts can be ar- ranged for as little as $235/ton, pricing that MESys says will save a typical homeowner around $1,000 per year, even after the fi nanced annual cost of conver- sion is included. Add to that the green angle heavily played up in the news and on the company’s website, and you have an attrac- tive package that the company expects will see demand exceed supply at the outset. MESys claims a carbon footprint reduc- tion of 16 tons/yr per homeowner. With a delivery network that includes much of central and southern Maine, this quiet state may already be the future of our industry. of a shaftless screw conveyor and a hopper bin to ensure constant fuel supply. The system operates with sawdust, bark, rip, or wood residues not exceeding three inches in diameter. It is also versatile, burning biomass up to 60% MC, with the resulting energy available for heating or for production processes. Overall, this new system looks more like a burner than traditional combustion chamber. Rather than having a latent fi re in the boiler, fi re is controlled and spread across the surface area of the boiler to ensure optimal use. Patent pending 61/022183.
Canadian Biomass August 08: Page 12
