This is a tough one to pick a forum for as it could apply to at least three of them.
I really think this torrified wood will ultimately be a "gamechanger". Initially its all going to go to Europe, but I expect the pellet makers are going to figure out that it potentially costs less to make torrefied wood than pellets (if starting with raw logs) and the lack of a need to package them, higher btu content (more fuel per truck load) and easy bulk delivery is going to really hurt pellets.
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/09/19/news/penobscot/up-to-15-construction-workers-sought-for-millinocket-torrefied-wood-project/
My old burnham wood boiler was set up for wood/coal long ago. Maybe at some point it will be worth switching back from wood to torrified wood. I do sort of wonder if a wood gasifier will work right with torrified wood without modification as the process takes a lot of volatile gases out of the fuel that normally would burn in the secondary chamber.
At a minimum the ultimate production plan for the facility is in the range of 2500 tons per day of raw wood so that is going to empty the market in that area of any low grade wood making it hard for the pellets mill not aligned with sawmills to get fuel.
I really think this torrified wood will ultimately be a "gamechanger". Initially its all going to go to Europe, but I expect the pellet makers are going to figure out that it potentially costs less to make torrefied wood than pellets (if starting with raw logs) and the lack of a need to package them, higher btu content (more fuel per truck load) and easy bulk delivery is going to really hurt pellets.
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/09/19/news/penobscot/up-to-15-construction-workers-sought-for-millinocket-torrefied-wood-project/
My old burnham wood boiler was set up for wood/coal long ago. Maybe at some point it will be worth switching back from wood to torrified wood. I do sort of wonder if a wood gasifier will work right with torrified wood without modification as the process takes a lot of volatile gases out of the fuel that normally would burn in the secondary chamber.
At a minimum the ultimate production plan for the facility is in the range of 2500 tons per day of raw wood so that is going to empty the market in that area of any low grade wood making it hard for the pellets mill not aligned with sawmills to get fuel.