Torrified Wood plant in Maine - T minus 1 year

[peakbagger]

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.

 

[steam man]

Actually that plant is here in my town. I looked at samples of the torrified wood and basically it looks like a really processed dry charcoal pellet. It's very stable from absorbing moisture. My only concern is that since it is being used as a coal replacement to reduce emissions the pricing may not be as good as something as unprocessed as regular wood pellets.

 

[peakbagger]

Heck Steam man why do you list Northern Maine on your profile? Millinocket is central. Maine contrary to what those folks down in York and Cumberland Counties think .
Great to see something with a future going on up there even though its just a start. It beats the devil out of watching Brookfield scrap everything and leave a gravel lot. Much as the locals dont like LePage, I expect thats what might be going on right now up there.

Cate Sreet is definitely targetting the Europeans as they can make more money and get fixedlong term contracts but ultimately there are several torrefaction processes http://www.topellenergy.com/ out there so once people know about it, I expect there will be other producers. If you look at the Topel product it sure looks like a pellet to me.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Looks like probably you can gasify it:

http://www.ecotechenergygroup.com/index.php/alternative-energy

I know they say you can burn soft coal in my EKO.

 

[maple1]

The first link above (Bangor News one) won't load for me - is it working for everybody else?

 

[ozzie88]

Heck, I live in medway and havent checked into it? Hello!! guess I need to get out more huh? Is there any articals about buring in a gasser??

 

[BoilerMan]

Heck Steam man why do you list Northern Maine on your profile? Millinocket is central. Maine contrary to what those folks down in York and Cumberland Counties think .
Great to see something with a future going on up there even though its just a start. It beats the devil out of watching Brookfield scrap everything and leave a gravel lot. Much as the locals dont like LePage, I expect thats what might be going on right now up there.

Cate Sreet is definitely targetting the Europeans as they can make more money and get fixedlong term contracts but ultimately there are several torrefaction processes http://www.topellenergy.com/ out there so once people know about it, I expect there will be other producers. If you look at the Topel product it sure looks like a pellet to me.

Haha, Steam man...... Northern Maine is Aroostook county. Ya'll with that there interstate is down tharah in south.

 

[steam man]

Haha, Steam man...... Northern Maine is Aroostook county. Ya'll with that there interstate is down tharah in south.

I got news for you guys, anything north of Bangor has always been considered "Northern Maine", especially by those living south of Augusta that have never been here. Mid-Maine is considered more Bangor to Augusta. Link on the Mid maine news at the bangor Daily news site and see where it takes you. Just so you know I have "picked potatoes" and "milked cows", all in Aroostook county. I am glad we cleared this up. LOL

 

[ozzie88]

Right On There still talking on splitting the state in two, we still in north???

 

[steam man]

Right On There still talking on splitting the state in two, we still in north???

Absolutely. LOL

 

[BoilerMan]

Yeah, us yankee Maineiacs, here in the north, voting conservitive, it drives the "other Maine" nuts.

TS

 

[steam man]

Let's keep up the good work!

 

[mikefrommaine]

Right On There still talking on splitting the state in two, we still in north???

If we throw in Augusta will you take Lewiston?

 

[willyswagon]

Northern Maine...The Way Life Should Be


With a couple of more radio stations so when I drive through I have a couple of choices

 

[ozzie88]

Northern Maine...The Way Life Should Be


With a couple of more radio stations so when I drive through I have a couple of choices

Lifes great here,maybe some high speed internet??? dial up just dont cut it all the time, LOL

 

[BoilerMan]

Well the cold keep the riffraff out. Thats what I always say.

TS

 

[willyswagon]

Well the cold keep the riffraff out. Thats what I always say.

TS

Not reallly, my friends and I visit every now and then

Actually more often now that the Canadian $ is worth more than the Green Back, and Canadian Customs has increased our duty free trip allowances

 

[BoilerMan]

Haha.

 

[Trex83]

Actually that plant is here in my town. I looked at samples of the torrified wood and basically it looks like a really processed dry charcoal pellet. It's very stable from absorbing moisture. My only concern is that since it is being used as a coal replacement to reduce emissions the pricing may not be as good as something as unprocessed as regular wood pellets.

The plans in Ontario is to do briquetting or torrefaction of ag. biomass. The cost for processing is high.
As for combustion, its similar to BBQ charcoal. When we shut off the biomass60 before the fire-out setting, we have lots of coals left in the primary chamber. Its peanuts to restart with a propane torch.
Its possible that we could forsee bridging problems in the primary chamber depending of the size of the torrefied wood if it doesnt fall down properly.
Do we have more details on the plant? I'm not far from NY and Maine...
Cheers,
Trex83

 

[peakbagger]

The technology reportedly is based on microwaving the wood in a vacuum. The resulting gases driven off are then burned in a external boiler which supplies heat to the front end of the process for drying. I believe they bought the Rotawave TIES technology.

 

[OT_Ducati]

The plans in Ontario is to do briquetting or torrefaction of ag. biomass. The cost for processing is high.
As for combustion, its similar to BBQ charcoal. When we shut off the biomass60 before the fire-out setting, we have lots of coals left in the primary chamber. Its peanuts to restart with a propane torch.
Its possible that we could forsee bridging problems in the primary chamber depending of the size of the torrefied wood if it doesnt fall down properly.
Do we have more details on the plant? I'm not far from NY and Maine...
Cheers,
Trex83

I think this is not for residential use, in the US.. not sure.
More industrial apps.?

 

[Trex83]

I think this is not for residential use, in the US.. not sure.
More industrial apps.?

Correct, its to replace coal in coal fired power plants in Ontario. Still have logistic issues and also price point is a big issue also, compared to cheap coal supply right now in North America.

 

[steam man]

I believe the Millinocket facility is going to export the pellets to plants in Great Britain, or so I've heard. It looks like the benefit of the reduced emissions driving this and the transportion cost make torrified wood use economical.

This looks like a long term project.