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Biomass Fuels

Correct boiler design based on fuel characteristics, ash behavior, and feed characteristics.

Main Types of Biomass Fuels

Biomass fuels differ significantly in terms of physical structure, moisture content, ash characteristics, and chemical composition. Therefore, each biomass fuel requires a specific combustion and boiler design.

1) Woody Biomass Fuels

Natural Wood Fuels
  • Log wood (cut pieces)
  • Forest residues (branches, roots, bark)
  • Wood chips (G30 / G50 / G100)
  • Tree bark
Processed Woody Fuels
  • Wood pellets (ENplus A1 / A2 / B)
  • Wood briquettes
  • Dried sawdust
  • Sawmill residues

Typical characteristics:
Lower heating value: 3,500–4,800 kcal/kg
Ash content: 0.3% – 2%
Combustion behavior: Stable and easy to control

2) Agricultural Plant Residues

Cereal and Straw Derivatives
  • Wheat straw
  • Barley straw
  • Rye straw
  • Oat straw
Corn and Sunflower Derivatives
  • Corn cobs
  • Corn stalks
  • Sunflower heads
  • Sunflower stalks
Rice and Sugar Industry
  • Rice husk
  • Rice straw
  • Sugar beet pulp (dried)

Typical characteristics:
Lower heating value: 2,800–4,200 kcal/kg
Ash content: 5% – 15%
Note: High alkali metal content → ash melting behavior is critical

3) Fruit, Hard Shell and Kernel-Based Fuels

Olive and Mediterranean Origin
  • Olive pomace (wet)
  • Olive pomace (dried)
  • Olive pits
Hard Shells
  • Hazelnut shells
  • Walnut shells
  • Almond shells
  • Apricot kernel shells

Typical characteristics:
Lower heating value: 3,000–5,200 kcal/kg
Ash content: 1.5% – 6%
Combustion: High energy density, aggressive ash behavior

4) Industrial Biomass Wastes

Wood and Furniture Industry
  • MDF wastes (uncoated)
  • Particle board scraps
  • Plywood residues
  • Wood pallet wastes
Paper and Pulp Industry
  • Pulp residues
  • Cardboard scraps
  • Cellulose sludge (dried)
Food Industry
  • Dried fruit residues
  • Seed-containing fruit wastes
  • Coffee grounds (dried)

Typical characteristics:
Fuel characteristics vary depending on the industrial process.
Flexible boiler design is required.

5) Animal and Organic Waste-Based Fuels

  • Dried cattle manure
  • Dried poultry manure
  • Biogas plant solid digestate residues

Typical characteristics:
Lower heating value: 1,800–3,500 kcal/kg
Moisture control is critical
Fuel feeding and pre-drying are important

6) Energy-Processed Biomass Fuels

  • Torrefied biomass
  • Biochar (for energy use)
  • Biogenic-content RDF
  • SRF (high biomass fraction)

Typical characteristics:
Emission and combustion control require advanced engineering.

7) Mixed and Special Biomass Fuels

  • Multi-fuel blends (co-firing)
  • Regional agricultural waste mixtures
  • Seasonal fuel combinations

Note:
This group requires project-specific boiler design rather than standard boilers.

Combustion System Compatibility (by Fuel Type)

Compatibility of different biomass fuels with furnace-type combustion systems and moving grate combustion systems.

Biomass Fuel TypesFurnace-Type Combustion SystemMoving Grate Combustion System
Woody Biomass Fuels    
Woody Biomass Fuels with 20–50% Moisture  
Woody Biomass Fuels with 20% Moisture  
Agricultural Plant Residues    
Cereal and Straw Derivatives  
Corn and Sunflower Derivatives  
Rice and Sugar Industry Residues  
Fruit, Hard Shell and Kernel-Based Fuels    
Olive Pomace  
Olive Pits
Hazelnut Shells
Walnut Shells
Almond Shells
Apricot Kernel Shells
Industrial Biomass Wastes    
Wood and Furniture Industry
Paper and Pulp Industry  
Food Industry  
Animal and Organic Waste-Based Fuels    
Dried Cattle Manure  
Dried Poultry Manure  
Biogas Plant Solid Digestate  
Energy-Processed Biomass Fuels    
Torrefied Biomass  
Biochar (energy use)  
Biogenic RDF  
SRF (high biomass fraction)  

Biomass Boiler: CAPEX & OPEX Comparison

Comparison of low CAPEX-focused systems and optimized CAPEX–low OPEX approaches from an investment and operational perspective.

TitleLow CAPEX Focused SystemOptimized CAPEX – Low OPEX System
CAPEX – Investment Components
Boiler & Combustion Design Simple body, narrow combustion chamber Fuel-compatible volume, controlled air distribution
Grate System Fixed grate Moving / stepped grate
Fuel Feeding Single screw feeder, no redundancy Multiple screw feeders, clog-tolerant
Automation Level Mainly manual adjustment O₂ controlled system with load tracking
Initial Investment Cost Low Medium
OPEX – Operational Performance
Fuel Consumption High (low combustion efficiency) Lower (stable combustion)
Electricity Consumption Fans operate continuously at high speed Modulation according to demand
Maintenance Frequency Frequent, risk of unplanned shutdowns Planned and predictable
Operator Dependency Highly variable Lower, semi-automatic
Ash / Slag Management Problematic, frequent occurrence Controlled, low frequency
Annual OPEX High Low
5–10 Year Perspective (Total Cost of Ownership)
Initial Investment Low Slightly higher
5-Year OPEX Very high Low
Total Cost of Ownership Highest Lowest
Customer Satisfaction Low High
Reference Potential Weak Strong

Typical Biomass Fuels – Technical Data

Comparison of commonly used biomass fuels in terms of moisture range, bulk density, lower heating value and energy density.

Fuel TypeMoisture Range (%)Bulk Density (kg/m³)Typical Composition / Flow BehaviorLHV (MJ/kg)Energy Density (MJ/m³)Fuel Required for 1 MWh (kg/h)Volume Required for 1 MWh (m³/h)
Wood chips (coarse) 40–55 180–250 Prone to bridging 9,5 2043 379 1,76
Wood chips (fine) 30–50 220–300 Screw feeding more stable 11,0 2860 327 1,26
Wood pellets 6–10 600–700 Most stable biomass fuel 17,0 10200 212 0,33
Wood briquettes 8–12 900–1100 Very high volumetric density 17,0 17000 212 0,21
Olive pomace (wet) 45–60 550–700 Oily, sticky structure 10,0 6250 360 0,58
Olive pomace (dried) 10–15 400–500 More stable combustion 18,0 8100 200 0,44
Sunflower husk 10–15 120–180 Very light 17,5 2625 206 1,37
Rice husk 8–12 90–150 High SiO₂ content 13,5 1620 267 2,22
Corn cob (crushed) 15–25 180–250 Non-flowing material 15,0 2325 240 1,12
Almond / Hazelnut shells 10–15 300–450 Hard, coarse particles 18,5 6938 195 0,52
Tree bark 50–65 250–350 High moisture and ash 7,5 2230 480 1,50
Sawdust 40–60 150–220 Very high bridging risk 9,5 1775 379 2,05
RDF (biogenic dominant) 15–30 250–400 Variable homogeneity 15,0 4875 240 0,74
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