Top 10 tips before start your own Biomass pellet factory
There is no doubt that biomass pellet fuels have a market prospect. If you have enough raw materials to make the pellets, you might consider building a wood pellet factory. But before making this decision, ask yourself the following 10 tips:
1. What is your raw material? There are too many raw materials that can be made into granules, from ordinary sawdust and logs to some oil palm trunks or bamboo. Raw materials determine everything. It determines the burning value of the final product. It determines whether you need a crusher or dryer to adjust the size and water content of the material. It determines which type of granulator you need, and so on.
2, the water content of the raw materials. When it comes to pellet production, the moisture content of raw materials is a key factor that you need to scrutinize. You may not know that higher water content will increase the final cost per pellet because you need more investment to dry the material to an acceptable level (usually about 15%). Drying systems require high energy consumption, which means more money is needed.
3. Do you need a dryer or drying system? What is the energy consumption of the dryer? As described in the above problem, it is necessary to dry a raw material having a high water content. In fact, in most of the granular plants we build, a drying system is a must. Most customers use raw materials to heat the dryer, but if you have another, cheaper resource, you can definitely choose it. In some cases, customers use natural gas.
4. The initial size of the raw material. Making pellets is not easy. It is not just feeding raw materials of any shape into the granulator, waiting for the particles to come out. In the real world, we have encountered a variety of materials in a variety of shapes. They can be powders, chunks, sawdust, or even whole trunks. However, the production of granules needs to be carried out in a moderate and smooth manner. That’s why you always find shredders in the wood pellet factory. The goal is to cut raw materials of uniform size.
5.What size particles do you need? In the wood pellet industry, the size of the particles refers to the diameter of the cross section. 6mm, 8mm and 10mm are the three most common sizes. However, if the customer needs other sizes, the supplier can re-adjust the ring mold to meet your requirements. The ring mold is a key part of the pelletizer and directly determines the diameter of the final pellet.
6. What is your power status? Different areas may have different electrical conditions. For example, in China, industrial power is below 380V, 50Hz, three-phase, while residential conditions are below 220V, 50Hz, single phase. This is not a big deal, but please contact your supplier and be sure to provide them with the right data so they can do the right calculations for you.
7. How much raw material can you provide per hour/day? More raw material supply means more pellets can be produced, which means more investment funds. For example, if your raw material supply is 1 ton per hour, the granulator is sufficient for this task. But if you have 10 tons / hour of raw material supply, you definitely need more particles. Granulators account for a large portion of the total cost of pellet plants. Carefully calculate and find the correct value.
8. What is the purpose of making particles? You can sell it for profit or use it for your own project. If you are planning to sell pellets, there are two conditions, one is to find the price of the pellet in the local market, and calculate the cost per ton of raw material you can accept, as well as the cost of the production equipment you can accept. Once you have all the information, you can set a sales price that is right for your profit. The other is that in order to sell granules, you must buy a baler, pack the granules in a bag, and build a brand for it.
9. Which port in your country will be used to receive products? If you choose a domestic supplier, they will provide the FOB price. However, if you know this information, you can also use the CIF price. For those who plan to sell granules overseas, it is best to have a clear understanding of the harbour’s information for their own benefit.
10. What are the local environmental requirements? What is a subsidy policy? Dust may occur during the drying process and during the production of the granules. Although some machines (such as dust collectors) minimize dust emissions, they are subject to local industrial production environmental regulations. In addition, because particulate fuels are known as renewable clean energy, governments in many countries encourage it by subsidizing energy producers. Sometimes the number can be large, so be sure to keep this in mind.
