Turning a coal-fired power station or district heating plant into a 100% renewable energy plant.
Biocoal, in the form of torrefied wood pellets, is a clean and readily available drop-in replacement for thermal coal.
A CLEAN ALTERNATIVE TO COAL
Biocoal, in the form of torrefied wood pellets, is a renewable and readily available drop-in replacement for coal.
Biocoal has an energy content similar to that of coal, which enables a generating unit to operate at full load.
It can be co-fired with coal in any proportion or replace coal completely, thus turning a coal-fired power station or district heating plant into a 100% renewable energy plant.
Biocoal pellets provide superior performance compared to industrial-grade wood pellets, making them the fuel of choice in existing coal-fired facilities.
A CLEAN ALTERNATIVE TO COAL
Biocoal’s unique properties allow it to be easily integrated into existing systems for handling storing and grinding coal, without major changes or expensive conversion to equipment.
Biocoal pellets are water resistant, allowing them to be stored outside in a pile where they can withstand the elements, whereas wood pellets easily deteriorate under wet conditions.
Wood pellets are difficult to grind and require the addition of specially designed grinding and handling systems, while biocoal is more brittle and easier to grind.
BENEFITS OF BIOCOAL
Extend useful life of assets
A conversion to torrefied wood pellets enables the extension of the useful life of existing power stations and district heating plants without major capital expenditures to adapt existing equipment to this new fuel.
Lower emmission and pollution
Compared to coal, torrefied wood pellets can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90% per GWh. Biomass combustion also reduces nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions by 50% to 70% and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 90%, while generating no toxic mercury emissions.
Clean and renewable fuel
There is no net addition of CO2 to the atmosphere when biomass is used as a fuel. The amount of carbon dioxide released during the combustion is the same as what is captured by trees during their growth phase. The carbon dioxide circulates in a renewable, carbon-neutral cycle.
Dispatchable base load power
Biocoal-fired power plants can easily and quickly adjust output to fluctuations in demand. Weather-dependent, intermittent renewable energy sources lack the flexibility and reliability of biocoal to provide dispatchable base load power.
Dust-free bulk loading
The excellent durability and low fine content of Airex’s biocoal pellets enable dust-free bulk loading in a container, a vessel hold or a truck.
Low transportation costs
Biocoal pellets have a superior energy density, reducing supply chain and logistics costs by 25% to 30% compared to conventional wood pellets. Biocoal pellets can be produced in Canada, from certified forests, and exported anywhere in the world by sea, rail and trucks.
SPECIFICATIONS
Airex Energy’s torrefied pellets meet or exceed ISO Technical Specification ISO‑TS 17225‑8‑Graded thermally treated biomass.
INDUSTRIAL-SCALE PLANT
Airex Energy operates an industrial-scale biocoal pellet plant in Québec, Canada where woody biomass is abundant and forests are managed sustainably in accordance with recognized certification standards.
In order to help industrial users gain a better understanding of the advantages of biocoal, Airex can supply torrefied wood pellets samples anywhere in the world to perform test burns, ranging from a few kilograms to several thousand tons. Airex’s biocoal pellets have been successfully tested in Canada, U.S.A., Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
BIOCHAR
A sustainable solution for carbon sequestration
Biochar is commonly used as a natural and organic soil amendment. When incorporated into soils, the carbon contained in biochar can be stored for hundreds of years, preventing it from degrading and being released back into the atmosphere. Carbon can also be sequestered when biochar is used in building materials and carbon-negative concrete.