WOOD PELLETS DELIVERED BY TANKER

BIOMASS WITH THE CONVENIENCE OF OIL

Pellets heating technology is comparatively new, and was developed from wood chip boiler technology. Over 60 manufactures of pellets boilers are active in the market in the European Union, and the boiler technology is constantly being improved.

Pellets (see photo) are generally manufactured from wood waste from the wood-processing industry, and have the advantages (compared with wood chips) of very low water content and low bulk, easing the problems of storage and transport frequently associated with biomass fuel.
Pellets use in Austria, Denmark and Sweden (currently the three countries with the highest pellet consumption) is increasing, and is summarised in the table below :
Heating with pellets in central heating systems is possible at costs comparable to heating with heating oil. In Austria, for example, the price of pellets is slightly lower than that of oil. Taking into account investment subsidies the costs per kWh are 0,0096 Euro for a pellet – heating system compared to 0.091 Euro/kWh for a fuel oil system. Cost for installations are expected to decrease due to technological development, making pellets competitive even without public support.

Biomass Tank project

Biomass plays an important role in the heating sector for houses in Austria and Bavaria (southern Germany) – regions with well developed forestry sector – and while automatic biomass eating systems using wood chips had been able to reach a certain market share, significant barriers prevented further market penetration by biomass-based heating systems.

Therefore a project was carried out in Austria to develop and market a new distribution system for pellets, one of the main purposes being to stimulate a household pellets market. Such a market needs certain prerequisites : The delivery of a standardised fuel in an adequate time with minimal costs and the provision of user-friendly and low-emission heating installations at competitive costs.

The biomass tank distribution system is based on the traditional system for distribution oil to private households, whereby an oil tanker comes to fill the household tank once or twice per year. The same system is now applied to wood pellets, making them as user-friendly and convenient as oil.
Private consumers in Austria show very high levels of interest in pellets for heating, and the study showed that all measures which increase consumer convenience – such as ease of delivery and billing – will signification support increased market penetration.

Full details and report of the Biomass Tank project may be obtained from the O.Ö Energiesparverband (Upper Austria Energy-Saving Association), Landstrasse, 4020 Linz, Austria
Fax : + 43 732 6584 4383
e-mail : esv1@esv.or.at
WWW : www.esv.or.at/esv