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Biomass briquettes are a biofuel substitute to coal and charcoal. They are used to fire industrial boilers that produce electricity from steam. The most common use of the briquettes are in boilers when combined with coal in cofiring.

Briquette made by a Ruf briquetter out of hay

Straw or hay briquettes

Composition and Production

Biomass briquettes are made of green waste and are commonly used for green electricity generation, for heat and as cooking fuel. These compressed compounds contain various sorts of organic materials, including rice husk, bagasse, ground nut shells, municipal solid waste, agricultural waste, or anything that contains a high nitrogen content. The actual composition of the briquettes varies by area due to the availability of raw materials. The raw materials are gathered and compressed into pellets in order to burn longer and make transportation of the goods easier . These briquettes are very different from charcoal because they do not have large concentrations carbonaceous substances and added materials. Compared to fossil fuels, the briquettes produce very low greenhouse gas emissions and produce almost no damage to the Earth.

One of the most common variables of the biomass briquette production process is the way the biomass is dried out. Manufacturers can use torrefaction, carbonization, or varying degrees of pyrolysis.

There are also differences when the biomass is compacted. Some materials burn more efficiently if compacted at low pressures, such as corn stover grind. Other materials such as wheat and barley straw require high amounts of pressure to produce peak heat production.

History

People have been using biomass briquettes in Nepal since before recorded history. The first commercial production plant was created in 1982 and produced almost 900 metric tons of biomass and more factories were created that were more efficient in 1984. They used a combination of rice husks and molasses. The King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC) along with the Institute for Himalayan Conservation (IHC) created a mixture of coal and biomass in 2000 using a unique rolling machine.

Cofiring

Cofiring relates to the combustion of two different types of materials. The process is used to substantially decrease CO₂ emissions, but not halt them. The combination of materials usually contains a high carbon emitting substance such as coal and a lesser CO₂ emitting material such as biomass. Even though CO₂ will still be emitted through the combustion of biomass, the carbon sequestered is nearly negligible because the material gathered for the composition of the briquettes are still contained in the carbon cycle. Boilers in power plants are traditionally heated by the combustion of coal, but if cofiring were to be implemented, then the CO₂ emissions would plummet. Implementing cofiring would require few modifications to the current characteristics to power plants, as only the fuel for the boiler would be altered. Also, as cheap as coal is, a moderate investment would be required for implementing biomass briquettes into the combustion process. This is the most cost-efficient means of biomass, thus making co-firing a near-term solution for the greenhouse gas emission problem.

Compared to Coal

There is an increasing use of biomass briquettes as industries realize the benefits of containing pollution with favorable economics. Briquettes provide higher calorific value per dollar than coal used for firing industrial boilers. Along with higher calorific value, biomass briquettes on average saved 30-40% of boiler fuel cost. However in the long run, briquettes can only limit the use of coal to a small extent, but it is increasingly being pursued by industries and factories all over the world. Both raw materials can be produced or mined domestically in the United States, creating a fuel source that is free from foreign dependence and less polluting than raw fossil fuel incineration.

Environmentally, the use of biomass briquettes produces much fewer greenhouse gases, specifically, 13.8% to 41.7% CO₂ and NO_X. There was also a reduction from 11.1% to 38.5% in SO₂ emissions when compared three different types of coal. Biomass briquettes are also fairly resistant to water degradation, an improvement over the difficulties encountered with wet coal. However, the briquettes are best used as a supplement to coal to create a high energy fuel that emits fewer pollutants in a cofiring scenario.

Usage In Undeveloped World

The Legacy Foundation has developed a set of techniques to produce biomass briquettes through artisanal production in rural villages that can be used for heating and cooking. These techniques were recently pioneered by Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, following the massive destruction of the Mountain Gorilla habitat for charcoal.

One area that has a unique situation occurs in Pangani, Africa, an area covered in coconut groves. After harvesting the meat of the coconut, the indigenous people would litter the ground with the then useless husks. This nuisance quickly became a profit center after it was discovered that coconut husks are well suited to be the main ingredient in bio briquettes. This alternative fuel mixture burns incredibly efficiently and leaves little residue, making it a good source for cooking in the undeveloped country.

Usage in Developing World

Two major components of the developing world are China and India. The economies are rapidly increasing due to cheap ways of harnessing electricity and emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide. The Kyoto Protocol attempted to regulate the emissions of the three different worlds, but there were disagreements as to who should be penalized for what. The United States has been the largest emitter but China has recently become the largest per capita. The United States had emitted a rigorous amount of carbon dioxide during its development and the developing nations argue that they should not be forced to meet the requirements. At the lower end, the undeveloped nations believe that they have little responsibility for what has been done to the carbon dioxide levels.

The use of biomass briquettes is strongly encouraged by issuing Carbon Credits. One Carbon Credit is equal to one free ton of carbon dioxide to be emitted into the atmosphere. India has started to replace charcoal with biomass briquettes in regards to boiler fuel, especially in the southern parts of the country because the biomass briquettes can be created domestically, depending on the availability of land. Therefore, constantly rising fuel prices will be less influential in an economy if sources of fuel can be easily produced domestically.

Usage in Developed World

Coal burning produces a large amounts of pollutants and is one of the main ingredients in charcoal. There has been a recent push to replace the burning of dead dinosaurs to biomass briquettes. The replacement of this nonrenewable resource with biological waste would lower the carbon footprint of grill owners and lower the overall pollution of the world.

The make machines that you can buy to make this briquettes at home.

External links

• the Legacy Foundation
• the Virunga Combustible Briquettes Project
• BG-RCNN Online Resource Center

Category:Biomass Category:Heating Category:Cooking techniques Category:Solid fuels