IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v178y2021icp483-493.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Techno-economic analysis of integrated torrefaction and pelletization systems to produce torrefied wood pellets

Author

Listed:
  • Manouchehrinejad, Maryam
  • Bilek, E.M. Ted
  • Mani, Sudhagar

Abstract

We investigated the techno-economic analysis of two integrated torrefaction and pelletization systems: (1) Torrefaction befOre Pelletization and (2) Torrefaction After Pelletization configurations to produce torrefied wood pellets. The detailed mass and energy balances and operating parameters were obtained from the process simulation model developed with the base case plant capacity of 100,000 Mg yr−1 using natural gas as an auxiliary fuel source. A discounted cash flow analysis was conducted for both configurations to estimate the capital expenditure, operating expenses, production cost, and the minimum selling price of torrefied pellets. The minimum selling price of torrefied pellets at the plant gate was $207 Mg−1 ($8.5 GJ−1) for the Torrefaction before Pelletization and $197 Mg−1 ($8.1 GJ−1) for the Torrefaction After Pelletization configurations. An increase in the plant capacity of up to 200,000 Mg yr−1 for both configurations decreased the minimum selling price by 10%. The sensitivity analysis of various operational and financial parameters demonstrated that the feedstock cost and torrefaction product yield were the most sensitive parameters influencing the minimum selling price of torrefied pellets. Future opportunities exist to reduce the minimum selling price of torrefied pellets to become competitive to conventional wood pellets and coal.

Suggested Citation

  • Manouchehrinejad, Maryam & Bilek, E.M. Ted & Mani, Sudhagar, 2021. "Techno-economic analysis of integrated torrefaction and pelletization systems to produce torrefied wood pellets," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 483-493.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:178:y:2021:i:c:p:483-493
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2021.06.064
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148121009307
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2021.06.064?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Peng, Jianghong & Bi, Xiaotao T., 2015. "A state-of-the-art review of biomass torrefaction, densification and applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 847-866.
    2. Chai, Li & Saffron, Christopher M., 2016. "Comparing pelletization and torrefaction depots: Optimization of depot capacity and biomass moisture to determine the minimum production cost," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 387-395.
    3. Batidzirai, B. & Mignot, A.P.R. & Schakel, W.B. & Junginger, H.M. & Faaij, A.P.C., 2013. "Biomass torrefaction technology: Techno-economic status and future prospects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 196-214.
    4. Peng, Jianghong & Bi, Xiaotao T. & Lim, C. Jim & Peng, Hanchao & Kim, Chang Soo & Jia, Dening & Zuo, Haibin, 2015. "Sawdust as an effective binder for making torrefied pellets," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 491-498.
    5. Ghiasi, Bahman & Kumar, Linoj & Furubayashi, Takaaki & Lim, C. Jim & Bi, Xiaotao & Kim, Chang Soo & Sokhansanj, Shahab, 2014. "Densified biocoal from woodchips: Is it better to do torrefaction before or after densification?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 133-142.
    6. Roni, Mohammad S. & Chowdhury, Sudipta & Mamun, Saleh & Marufuzzaman, Mohammad & Lein, William & Johnson, Samuel, 2017. "Biomass co-firing technology with policies, challenges, and opportunities: A global review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1089-1101.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Riaz, Sajid & Oluwoye, Ibukun & Al-Abdeli, Yasir M., 2022. "Oxidative torrefaction of densified woody biomass: Performance, combustion kinetics and thermodynamics," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 908-918.
    2. Liu, Tianyu & Wen, Chang & Li, Changkang & Yan, Kai & Li, Rui & Jing, Zhenqi & Zhang, Bohan & Ma, Jingjing, 2022. "Integrated water washing and carbonization pretreatment of typical herbaceous and woody biomass: Fuel properties, combustion behaviors, and techno-economic assessments," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 218-233.
    3. Cheng, Wei & Shao, Jing'ai & Zhu, Youjian & Zhang, Wennan & Jiang, Hao & Hu, Junhao & Zhang, Xiong & Yang, Haiping & Chen, Hanping, 2022. "Effect of oxidative torrefaction on particulate matter emission from agricultural biomass pellet combustion in comparison with non-oxidative torrefaction," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 39-51.
    4. Ong, Hwai Chyuan & Yu, Kai Ling & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Pillejera, Ma Katreena & Bi, Xiaotao & Tran, Khanh-Quang & Pétrissans, Anelie & Pétrissans, Mathieu, 2021. "Variation of lignocellulosic biomass structure from torrefaction: A critical review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    5. Zhao, Zhong & Feng, Shuo & Zhao, Yaying & Wang, Zhuozhi & Ma, Jiao & Xu, Lianfei & Yang, Jiancheng & Shen, Boxiong, 2022. "Investigation on the fuel quality and hydrophobicity of upgraded rice husk derived from various inert and oxidative torrefaction conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 1234-1248.
    6. Paredes, B.M. & Paredes, J.P. & García, R., 2023. "Integration of biocoal in distributed energy systems: A potential case study in the Spanish coal-mining regions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PC).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yek, Peter Nai Yuh & Cheng, Yoke Wang & Liew, Rock Keey & Wan Mahari, Wan Adibah & Ong, Hwai Chyuan & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Peng, Wanxi & Park, Young-Kwon & Sonne, Christian & Kong, Sieng Huat & Tabatabaei, 2021. "Progress in the torrefaction technology for upgrading oil palm wastes to energy-dense biochar: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    2. Mostafa, Mohamed E. & Hu, Song & Wang, Yi & Su, Sheng & Hu, Xun & Elsayed, Saad A. & Xiang, Jun, 2019. "The significance of pelletization operating conditions: An analysis of physical and mechanical characteristics as well as energy consumption of biomass pellets," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 332-348.
    3. Yun, Huimin & Clift, Roland & Bi, Xiaotao, 2020. "Process simulation, techno-economic evaluation and market analysis of supply chains for torrefied wood pellets from British Columbia: Impacts of plant configuration and distance to market," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    4. Emadi, Bagher & Iroba, Kingsley L. & Tabil, Lope G., 2017. "Effect of polymer plastic binder on mechanical, storage and combustion characteristics of torrefied and pelletized herbaceous biomass," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 312-319.
    5. Leonel J. R. Nunes & João C. O. Matias, 2020. "Biomass Torrefaction as a Key Driver for the Sustainable Development and Decarbonization of Energy Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-9, January.
    6. Ansari, Khursheed B. & Gaikar, Vilas G., 2019. "Investigating production of hydrocarbon rich bio-oil from grassy biomass using vacuum pyrolysis coupled with online deoxygenation of volatile products over metallic iron," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 305-318.
    7. Shui, Tao & Khatri, Vinay & Chae, Michael & Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine & Choi, Phillip & Bressler, David C., 2020. "Development of a torrefied wood pellet binder from the cross-linking between specified risk materials-derived peptides and epoxidized poly (vinyl alcohol)," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 71-80.
    8. Jorge Miguel Carneiro Ribeiro & Radu Godina & João Carlos de Oliveira Matias & Leonel Jorge Ribeiro Nunes, 2018. "Future Perspectives of Biomass Torrefaction: Review of the Current State-Of-The-Art and Research Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Mohd Idris, Muhammad Nurariffudin & Hashim, Haslenda & Leduc, Sylvain & Yowargana, Ping & Kraxner, Florian & Woon, Kok Sin, 2021. "Deploying bioenergy for decarbonizing Malaysian energy sectors and alleviating renewable energy poverty," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    10. García, R. & González-Vázquez, M.P. & Martín, A.J. & Pevida, C. & Rubiera, F., 2020. "Pelletization of torrefied biomass with solid and liquid bio-additives," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 175-183.
    11. Niu, Yanqing & Lv, Yuan & Lei, Yu & Liu, Siqi & Liang, Yang & Wang, Denghui & Hui, Shi'en, 2019. "Biomass torrefaction: properties, applications, challenges, and economy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    12. Wang, L. & Barta-Rajnai, E. & Skreiberg, Ø. & Khalil, R. & Czégény, Z. & Jakab, E. & Barta, Z. & Grønli, M., 2018. "Effect of torrefaction on physiochemical characteristics and grindability of stem wood, stump and bark," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C), pages 137-148.
    13. Grigiante, M. & Brighenti, M. & Antolini, D., 2016. "A generalized activation energy equation for torrefaction of hardwood biomasses based on isoconversional methods," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 1318-1326.
    14. Doddapaneni, Tharaka Rama Krishna C. & Praveenkumar, Ramasamy & Tolvanen, Henrik & Rintala, Jukka & Konttinen, Jukka, 2018. "Techno-economic evaluation of integrating torrefaction with anaerobic digestion," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 272-284.
    15. Leonel J. R. Nunes, 2020. "Torrefied Biomass as an Alternative in Coal-Fueled Power Plants: A Case Study on Grindability of Agroforestry Waste Forms," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 2(3), pages 1-20, July.
    16. Zhang, Congyu & Ho, Shih-Hsin & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Xie, Youping & Liu, Zhenquan & Chang, Jo-Shu, 2018. "Torrefaction performance and energy usage of biomass wastes and their correlations with torrefaction severity index," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 598-604.
    17. Granados, D.A. & Ruiz, R.A. & Vega, L.Y. & Chejne, F., 2017. "Study of reactivity reduction in sugarcane bagasse as consequence of a torrefaction process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 818-827.
    18. James W. Butler & William Skrivan & Samira Lotfi, 2023. "Identification of Optimal Binders for Torrefied Biomass Pellets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-23, April.
    19. Adrian Knapczyk & Sławomir Francik & Marcin Jewiarz & Agnieszka Zawiślak & Renata Francik, 2020. "Thermal Treatment of Biomass: A Bibliometric Analysis—The Torrefaction Case," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-31, December.
    20. Zhang, Congyu & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Zhang, Ying & Ho, Shih-Hsin, 2023. "Influence of microorganisms on the variation of raw and oxidatively torrefied microalgal biomass properties," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:178:y:2021:i:c:p:483-493. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.