Wood Pellet Production in Russia

There are many variants of names for fuel pellets on the market: new generation firewood, fuel pellets, biofuel ... Fuel pellets invented in the middle of the 20th century attract more and more interest among consumers around the world and in Russia as well. The Russian wood pellet manufacturers appreciated the opportunity to use wood processing waste not so long ago, but the high consumer demand stimulated the active development of industry in this area.

What are wood pellets?

Wood pellets are small cylindrical granules with a diameter of 6-8 mm, compressed from crushed waste, in the main cases - wood processing. Also, for the production of cheap fuel pellets, some wood pellet manufacturers use cereal waste, straw and husk.

The listed raw materials are crushed, dried and pressed. Pressing causes the wood flour to heat, while the wood lingin sticks the particles together. Finished pellets are sold in bulk, in bags and bags with a volume of 20kg to 50 kg, in big bags with a capacity of 1 ton.

Benefits of wood pellets

Comparing thermal granules with wood, gas, coal and oil, you can find that biomass is superior to fossil fuels and firewood in most respects:

● - the calorific value of wood is 1.5 times less

● - after burning the pellet, no more than 1-3% of the ash from the fuel volume remains, it is 15-20 times less than from the combustion of oil and gas,

● - the cost of wood pellets is lower than that of the same volume of traditional types of fuel,

● - due to lack of dust, pellets do not self-ignite,

● - there are no spores in the granules, therefore they are safe for people allergic to pollen,

● - the standard size of the pellets allows you to automate their packaging, feeding into the boiler, loading, unloading, transportation, minimizing manual labor and the "human factor".

Wood pellet production in Russia

The Russian market for wood pellets has been showing steady growth since its inception (over the period 2008–2017, its volume increased by about 7 times). The volumes of production and export of the product and its use in the country are growing, although the share of exports still accounts for most of the volumes - about 80%. The whole of Europe buys pellets from Russia, and the main consumer is the countries of Scandinavia and the UK with their cold climate.

Despite the huge forest area in the country, Russia occupies only 8th place in the world in terms of pellet exports and 3rd place among pellet exporters to Europe. Only 25% of the wood waste in the country is processed into biofuel, while the percentage for agricultural waste is even lower.

Wood pellets are produced in all regions: from Arkhangelsk to Vladivostok. The Northwest Federal District produces most of it; it accounts for up to 60% of the production of fuel pellets - the proximity to Europe and international sea ports affects it. The production of fuel pellets in the Far East and Siberia is gradually developing for consumers from Korea and Japan, where Western technologies are being actively introduced and green energy enterprises subsidized.

In total, Russia has more than 250 pellet plants with a total capacity of up to 3.5 million tons per year. These are woodworking plants for which biofuel production is an additional source of income, and specialized industries using third-party

In Russia, the standard for the production of wood pellets is GOST R 54220-2010. The most popular pellet diameter in the country is 6mm and 8 mm; some enterprises produce products with a diameter of 4mm and 12 mm. Fuel is produced for industry with an ash content of up to 3%, for a private consumer - up to 1%.

Where are wood pellets used?

Buyers of wood pellet from Russia use it to heat private houses and cottages, warehouses and industrial premises, to heat the coolant in boiler rooms. In areas where there is no gas heating, the demand for wood pellets is stably higher. Fuel pellets - a multifunctional material that finds application not only in the energy sector, but also in a wide variety of industries, utilities and agriculture.

● High combustion efficiency, comparable with the efficiency of natural gas and coal (95%), makes pellet heating, water and space heating the main purpose.

● The ash remaining from the combustion of wood pellets can be used to fertilize the soil.

● A high degree of absorption of liquids allows the use of pellets as bedding material in animal husbandry, filler gas filters, absorbent in the production of fuel. With the help of wood pellets, pollutants are collected during emergency situations, and they are even filled with cat toilets.

The value of fuel pellets

The production of wood pellets includes waste from logging, bark, lump cuttings from the production of lumber, waste from the peat industry, husk of seeds and corn, cones. The use of these wastes allows you to save the natural carbon metabolism in nature. When they burn, the same amount of carbon dioxide is released as when the same amount of wood is decomposed. Made from a renewable source of carbon fuel, wood pellets not only do not harm the environment, but also maintain a healthy level of environmental conditions. Thanks to their production, deadwood does not accumulate in the forests, and the areas freed from the forest are quickly replenished with new plantings or self-sowing.

Prospects for the Russian biofuel market

Experts unanimously argue that the consumption of wood pellets will grow worldwide, because this type of fuel is an excellent solution for the disposal of wood and agricultural waste. Russian legislative initiatives begin to prohibit the disposal of wood waste, and encourage timber merchants to switch to non-waste production if they want to receive state support. Transportation of pellets abroad receives financial support from the Russian government.

Each year, new wood pellet production appears in the country, while the volume of raw materials is still several times higher than their production capabilities. In the future, the domestic green energy market will continue to grow along with the global one, supporting compliance with the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Where to buy wood pellet machine to make wood pellets

The company "ROTEXMASTER" produces wood pellet production line, such as chipper, crusher, dryer, pellet machine, cooler, packing machine. The products comply with technical requirements and safety standards. Our customers are around the world. We provide design, manufacturing, installation, debugging and training.

If you still have questions about the equipment, ROTEXMASTER will be your side.