Why pellets are packing the power

[jpak]

http://www.earthscan.co.uk/news/article/mps/uan/702/v/3/sp/

'It is quite possible that total pellet consumption in Europe will triple in the coming five years.'This is the view presented by Matti Hilli, CEO one of the world's largest pellet producers - Vapo Oy - speaking at the Bioenergy in Wood Industry 2005 conference, held in Finland last September.While growth in medium-sized district heating plants was steady, there was a marked increase in the co-firing of pellets with coal. On the home heating front, 2005 was a boom year for pellets in Germany, and as the likelihood of a European directive on renewable heating and cooling increases, that trend seems set to continue. Meanwhile, in industry, pellets are also being adopted as a source of on-site heat, often in CHP installations.

Compared with wood chip, for example, wood pellets are highly sophisticated form of packaged energy. First, their energy density is about four times that of good quality wood chip - about 3100 kWh/m3, meaning that their storage and transport is considerably easier and more efficient.And unlike briquettes, the other compacted wood fuel, pellets can be bulk handled like a liquid, as they are small enough to flow freely.

This means that they can be transported by tanker and 'pumped' into storage bins, then fed automatically into boilers.

Typically, wood pellets have a moisture content of only 6%-9% yielding advantages of increased combustability, reduced bulk and weight, and a greatly enhanced 'shelf-life'.At these levels of moisture, the fuel is not open to attack by mildew or other fungal spores, nor will microbial decomposition take place. Essentially the wood fuel becomes an easily transportable, and internationally tradeable commodity, which can be used just as readily in a pellet stove in a living room as in a power plant.

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[Hand]

1. Makes excellent pet litter, too!

Especially for bunnies, ferrets, and similar small animals. Absorbs urine and controls odors beautifully.

Just sayin'. :hi:

[zalinda]

2. Yup, been using it for my cat for years

I got tired of clay litter making little dents in the vinyl flooring.

zalinda

[Hand]

3. The used litter makes great compost, too.

Well, maybe not from kitties (cat poop ain't a popular fertilizer), but the used litter from our pet bunnies was amazing stuff.

[zalinda]

4. Just started our compost pile

I'll probably put in some of the litter, to mix with the green. I'm not going to be using it for a food garden, so it doesn't matter much.

zalinda

[Kolesar]

5. I don't know where I could store them

The garage is full of cars.

[Ready4Change]

6. People are ignoring the possibility of wood shortages.

I forget the exact era (mid 1800's?), but major cities had severe pollution problems from people burning coal. They were burning coal because it had become too expensive to bring in wood, as all the nearby sources had been depleted.

[Kolesar]

7. My home town in Ohio was pretty dirty w/ coal in the 1930s

I remember my teachers telling stories about it.