Biomass Boiler and Sustainability
As a bigger focus is put on climate, green energy, and energy efficiency, more and more businesses within the energy sector as well as within industrial companies and farms transform their plants so they can burn biomaterials instead of fossil fuels. There are even examples of companies that have changed their plant from burning wood pellets to burning straw instead.
It is a clear advantage that burning straw instead of oil or coal is better, but it is also an advantage to have a biomass boiler plant that can burn straw instead of wood pellets or other products that you might have less control over in terms of where it comes from and what it contains. Wood pellets can come from far away, and in that way, there is less control with what's in them and whether they contain more than just wood.
For example, it is not good if the wood pellets are made of painted or impregnated wood. As a contrast to this, there is straw, which often stems from local farms, and the straw is therefore transported over shorter distances, and because of local regulations within the farming industry, there is a better control with what the straw can contain.
If you choose a biomass boiler instead of plants that are meant for burning fossil fuels, you choose sustainable heating (or other kinds of energy), climate, and economy.
Lars Visgaard Jørgensen
Project sales, business development and installation manager
Choose biomass burning instead of fossil fuels
The fact that something is called biofuel means that it is a biological material that is primarily found above the earth's surface. Biomass can include straw, wood chips, wood pellets, waste wood, grain millings, wood shavings/sawdust, elephant grass, seed grass, olive stones, cherry stones, coffee grounds and seed grass.
Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are materials that come from dead animals and plants. This makes fossil fuels difficult to get more of when the supply is depleted. In contrast, many biofuels are considered to be sources of renewable energy. However, they are not renewable like solar and wind energy, as they are, after all, finite in their current form.
Choose firing with biomaterials instead of fossil fuels
When something is called biofuel, it means that it is a biological material which is primarily found above the earth’s surface. Biomass can for example be straw, wood splinters, wood waste, grain residue, wood shavings/sawdust, elephant grass, olive stones, cherry stones, and coffee grounds.
Fossil fuels are for example coal, oil, and natural gas, and they are materials that come from dead animals and plants that lived long ago. The fossil fuels are therefore hard to get more of when the source has been depleted. In contrast to this, many types of biofuels are considered to be sources for renewable energy. They are not continuous like solar energy and wind energy, as they are limited in their current form.
A smaller CO2 footprint with green energy
When you burn biomasses (which are often waste products, by the way) instead of fossil fuels, you diminish the pollution, and it also creates a smaller demand for fossil fuels. Furthermore, firing with e.g. straw often means a lower cost for both you and your customers, and they will also appreciate sustainable heating.
To a great extent, pollution is about emission of CO2, and some of the fuels that are the worst choice in that regard are exactly fossil fuels. This is because they contain carbon dioxide, and it is released into the atmosphere when the material is burned.
However, CO2 is necessary for everything to work. Humans breathe out air that contains 4 % CO2, and the CO2 (also called carbon dioxide) is absorbed by plants. The plants release oxygen which is crucial for humans. This creates a good interplay between humans, animals, plants, algae etc., and CO2 is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it is a problem when there is too much CO2 in the air. An increased level of CO2 contributes to global warming, among other things.
Many advantages with sustainable heating and only a few downsides
There are many advantages of choosing a biomass boiler for straw and other biomaterials rather than other types of firing. However, you don’t need to settle with one type of fuel, as our plants can be customized so that they can burn different kinds of fuel. For this reason, you don’t have to only burn straw. Your plant can e.g. fire with wood pellets, wood waste, wood splinters, and grain residue. The number of different fuels you can use for sustainable heating etc. depends on the number of boilers.
If your company is located near a factory that makes olive oil or cherry juice or cherry liqueur, it is for example a good idea to have a boiler that can burn the stones from olives or cherries.
The many advantages of our plants include, among other things:
- Long-term firing solution for e.g. sustainable heating
- Cheap fuel in the form of waste materials such as straw
- A smaller emission of CO2
- Automatic plants with a minimum need for maintenance
- Intelligent control and supervision of the plant
- Competent and friendly service, sparring, and consultancy
- Opportunity to expand the plant later
One of the only downsides to using straw for sustainable heating etc. is that dust (and smoke) is produced. And this can be a nuisance to neighbors or employees at nearby companies. If your plant has a certain size, and if there are no other filtering opportunities, your plant probably needs to be equipped with a cyclone.
Improved energy efficiency with Linka
If you are ready to transform your energy production to a green solution (e.g. sustainable heating), you are welcome to write or call us today. Don’t hesitate to improve your energy efficiency. You can diminish your cost as well as your CO2 emission, and if your customers are dependent upon heating from your heating plant, they will appreciate the lower heating prices.
Read more about sustainable heating and other kinds of sustainable energy on our website.
See our straw boilers/plants here:
Halmananlage 250 - 5000 kw
Linka's fully automatic straw choppers are supplied with a straw chopper and conveyor, which can be adapted to the size of the boiler and the customer's wishes and needs.
Straw: 250 - 15.000 kW
Linka's fully automatic straw choppers are supplied with a straw chopper and conveyor, which can be adapted to the size of the boiler and the customer's wishes and needs.
Straw heating plant: 1000 - 15.000 kW
Linka's chipping plant consists of a scraper system, which ensures that the plant is constantly supplied with the right amount of wood chips.
Halmananlage 400 - 15000 kw
A wood chip heating plant is also built according to the customer's needs. Smaller plants typically use a scraper, while larger plants may opt for a chip crane.
Other types and sizes
Linka can also adapt our plants to other fuel types than the traditional ones, such as seed grass, corn cobs and cherry stones.