Market Condition of Biomass Fuel

Indonesia has enormous biomass production potential because of its tropical climate, and extensive land. Biomass fuels from Indonesia which are now exported are wood pellets and palm kernel shells. Wood pellet production is still low in the range of 80 thousand tons / year, while the palm kernel shell is quite high at around 10 million tons / year. Both types of biomass fuels are mostly for export while in domestic is not yet widely used. Why the domestic market itself has not used much of both types of biomass fuel? This is because people are still dependent on fossil fuels, namely LPG gas to cook households and coal in the industrial sector. The government policy to increase the use of renewable and alternative energy needs to be encouraged so that biomass energy is increasingly used.

PKS Loading

As for the export market, the need for biomass fuel needs is greater and projected starting in 2020 will increase sharply. For palm kernel shells (pks) buyers are Korea and Japan. Currently there are many sellers of palm kernel shells, while the number of buyers is still limited. This raises the business conditions that are less healthy because the price of these commodities will be more determined by the buyer (oligopsoni). The practice should be avoided and resolved if the number of buyers and sellers is relatively balanced. How to increase the number of buyers of biomass fuel from Indonesia? For export markets other than two countries namely Korea and Japan which have been importing mainly Indonesian palm kernel shells for power plants, then promotion to look for other markets, such as China and Europe may also do. Currently there have also been buyers from Taiwan and Thailand although their needs are still relatively small for its use for heating in industrial boilers.

The market condition of palm kernel shells (pks) is different from wood pellets. The difference is that the wood pellet producers spread almost all over the world, as the raw materials of woody biomass are located almost all over the earth. While sales of bulk Palm kernel shells are only done in Indonesia and Malaysia which is the biggest CPO producer in the world as well as the largest palm oil plantation owner in the world. In addition, a number of large countries are promoting its wood pellets on a large scale so that the wood pellet becomes very popular, so the demand is increasing sharply and some countries are starting to start for wood pellet production. Wood pellets are more famous and worldwide than palm shells although the properties or characteristics of both as biomass fuel are almost the same. This condition should further encourage the Indonesian government to promote the palm kernel shell. In global market conditions with the number of producers and users of wood pellets that are also quite balanced in number, the market conditions are better, although some countries become major producers and control most of the market. While domestic pellet market is still small so it still needs to be encouraged its use as well as its production. Along with the public unrest due to LPG gas scarcity, the motivation to use wood pellet is also getting bigger.

While also waiting for 2020, the market or users in the country also needs to be made so that will increase the number of biomass fuel buyers. The use of biomass fuel is proven to provide economic and environmental benefits if the management is good and sustainable. When the biomass fuel market is large, then production should also be added. If the palm kernel shells (pks) are palm oil waste depending on the amount of CPO production, wood pellets can be produced separately especially with raw materials from the energy plantation so that the capacity can be very large. Currently, Indonesia's CPO production is around 35 million tons/year with a palm oil plantation area of ​​12 million hectares. The energy plantation can be optimized with sheep farming and honey bee farming (see 5F project for the world!), As well as for palm oil plantations (see Transmigration For Sheeping In Palm Oil Pantation, Could It Be?). Empty fruit bunches and old palm oil trunk that are not productive can also be made pellets. And especially for oil palm pellets (OPT pellets) we currently have demand for volume of 1,000 tons / month, for those interested in becoming a manufacturer, please read more here.

Wood Pellet Demand Crawling Up?

The fall of wood pellet market some time ago is also greatly influenced by the price of oil. The low oil price touched $ 30/barrel in early 2016 also lowered the selling price and demand for wood pellets. This condition even to shift the position of wood pellet as the cheapest fuel for the heating sector. At that time the energy price per calorie of oil which is a liquid fuel better quality and much in demand cheap, so that solid fuel that lower quality and less desirable also become cheaper. There are even many industries switching to using oil fuels than before using solid fuels such as coal. Wood pellets as one of the solid fuels (although from renewable sources) are also affected by the world oil price, because of the basis of calculating the price per calorie or heat of the fuel.

After almost 3 years of oil prices falling gradually, the current price of oil has risen drastically at the price of $ 70 / barrel. Some analysts say if crude oil prices more than $ 63 / barrel then the demand for wood pellets will rise again with prices that are also more attractive. Oil prices to be one of three causes of the decline in the wood pellet market in the world market in the last 3-4 years. The other two causes are the first, because a number of policies for the use of wood pellets have not been effectively implemented because the power plants have not yet been completed or in the development stage, and some power plants are still in the co-firing trial stage with wood pellets. And the second ,climate change then the winters in Europe in recent years been warmer or less as cold as those earlier times. Logically when the above conditions can turn out otherwise the wood pellet market will improve. And what we are witnessing today is a significant increase in oil prices, as it has exceeded $ 63/barrel.

As the wood pellet industry begins to wiggle and excite, it should also spur wood pellet production in Indonesia. Export market or world wood pellet market more ready and attractive prices need to be filled soon, so if need be dominated. Unused land even barren ones can be greened with energy plantations. Stages of designing energy plantation for wood pellet production can be read here. Furthermore, the domestic market is also need immediately created and developed, because in the short term we will also run out of petroleum, with the current conditions have become nett importers of petroleum. What if we just just sit there like a spectator? Certainly will aggravate our energy condition. We should participate to encourage the energy sovereignty of our country especially with renewable energy such as wood pellets because it provides many benefits.

5F Project For The World!

At least there 7F which became an essential material needs of the people throughout the world, namely Food, Fuel, Fiber, Fodder, Feedstock, Fertilizer, and Favor. 7F became the theme of a variety of warm conversation around the world today to be pursued to find a variety of scenarios to solve the problems associated 7F. The problem of food for example, according to WHO, nearly 1/3 of the world's population or approximately 2 billion people suffer from hunger, even in the FAO country report headline sharper again, that there are 60 million people "... go bed hungry every night ..." in Southeast Asia and almost a third in Indonesia or nearly 20 million people, this is certainly a serious problem to be solved immediately. The complex issue because it involves multidimensional human life.

In this paper, at least I offer scenarios 5F namely fuel (energy), Food, Fodder (forage), Fiber (clothing) and Fertilizer to optimize the potential of land or land available in Indonesia and hopefully can implemented in the near future. In Indonesia a lot of common soilwere damaged or barren, arid even die and some have even begun to happen desertification of not utilized properly. Soil barren damaged or even die must be repaired first if people want to get the food from it. Then how to improve even revive the dead land? Allah SWT gave instructions in the Qur'an : Yaasiin (36): 33, which revive the dead land with use leguminocea plants, it turned out to be in line and supported by numerous scientific studies and has been tested in the fields. Then in the Qur'an :Yaasiin (36): 80 Allah SWT also mentioned energy source from green trees, it is reinforcing the wood of a kind of green plants such as Calliandra species as an energy source for wood pellets production.

There are so many types of plants this legumiceae, ie more than 19,000 species and should be selected which are most suitable according to the characteristics of the area and the specific objectives to be achieved. When the plants grown in dead soil, leguminocea plants then with the rain water will grow and further bind nitrogen (N) from the air and stored in a nitrogen nodules of these plants that enrich the soil as it becomes fertilizer. Calliandra is just one example of the Leguminoceae plants. When soil was broken even been dying to be repaired and able to produce 5F (Fuel, Food, Fodder, Fiber and Fertilizer) above, the calliandra could be one option. Calliandra crop rotation is fast, ie within one year can be harvested and can grow from the its shoots up for decades so it does not need to be replanted every year.

When planting calliandra then the place for sheep grazing with eat the grass on the sidelines calliandra plants, and wood of Calliandra are used for the production of wood pellets (fuel), and the leaves of calliandra plants are used to feed cattle, cows dung used for biogas production, residual biogas production will be organic fertilizer, and feathers sheep into textile materials that are expensive. Calliandra plantation would also be fertile because the sheep are dropping feces and urines into fertilizer at the plantation. Sheep manures are very good fertilizer, following chemical composition: Nitrogen (N) 2.03%; Phosphorous (P) 1.42%; Potassium (K) 1.61%; Calcium (Ca) 2.45%; Magnesium (Mg) 0.62%; Manganese (Mn) of 0.49%; Iron (Fe) 2.19%; Copper (Cu) and 0.02% Zinc (Zn) 12:22%. Thus the enrichment of the soil in addition to bind nitrogen by the roots of calliandra tress will also be accelerated with sheep drop the dungs on it. And each of at least 6 months fleece the sheep are sheared fleece that will be generated as a textile material. In wood harvesting, the leaves caliandra collected to feed the cows, when the leaves remaining much then can be processed further as fermentation so as to spare the future when the supply of food from the plantation can be disrupted or can be commercialized. The woods is then further processed into wood pellets. Wood pellets have a large market share as a fuel or energy. From the environmental aspects of the carbon balance will also give the best effect for the environment because fuel biomass is carbon-neutral fuels.

Calliandra cropping pattern that is generally 1 x 1m, so that enough space including for sheep grazing, or type of pasture are precision grazing. Land to pasture, the sheep in the calliandra plantation insulated to a certain extent depend on topography factors , roads access, woods harvest rotation system and the best grazing radius. For thousands of hectares of land could be made a lot of posts or units to take the sheep grazing. The above pattern will make the soil or land becomes very productive, and certainly if there are many people who do well then crises will be inevitable human needs, let alone there are millions of hectares of land or land in Indonesia abandoned. Sheep as well as the cows will be marketed to those in need both domestically and abroad. Saudi Arabia for example require 8 million sheep, and ¼ of its needs in the Hajj season. Besides freighter sheep graziers will come to them when they are able to provide 20,000 head each delivery (shipment).

So how after the soil fertile? Of course it could be used for a variety of trees more profitable as fruit trees and so forth. Calliandra trees can be harvested well for more than 20 years in every year and without the need for replanting every year. We take 15 years for example, then during the same line with lifetime machines of wood pellet plant in general. Thus practically at that time continued to productive land with a variety of crops with good management and sustainable. If after that too continue with calliandra tress to be used also the result will be the maximum that's because the good management. Calliandra plants is a pioneer or pioneer plant species so it is suitable for soil improvement that damaged or die.

That Muslims should also syirkah (cooperation) in the management of land (grassland or sources of food, water and fire (energy source), it is clear the the direction of the Prophet Muhammad: "The Muslims were syirkah (cooperation) in three ways, in terms of pasture, water and fire "(HR. Sunan Abu Daud). Water management is always in need of land, the trees need land for a place to grow so that it can help absorb water, water source (spring) emergence of surface soil, then to be able to manage our water must also have access to land management. What are the consequences if we do not want syirkah (cooperation)? Sources of livelihood are our primary form of food, water and energy will be managed by others and people become dependent on the fulfillment of the primary needs. When we are not self-sufficient in terms of basic needs, we can easily be misled in a variety of other matters..

The Wave of World Biomass Energy

According to the organization of FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization), the production of wood pellets in 2013 exceeded 22 million tons and more than half are traded internationally with 80% of the production is consumed by European countries. The main factors that affect it is the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive, which instruct the use of renewable energy to 20% in their energy mix by 2020. While in 2024 global production of wood pellets predicted 50 million tons.

The development of wood pellets industry very massive actually can be traced, in 2007 when the European Commission issued an ambitious program of the Renewable Energy Directive as mentioned above, which is the first factor driving world countries ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Furthermore from the Renewable Energy Directive,  the European countries individually create its own policy mechanisms to achieve these goals. One inexpensive and effective approach is to reduce CO2 at the power plant by replacing a number of coal burned in power plants with biomass, which is mainly wood pellets. Policy makers are interested in the above approach, because it would result in the acceleration of implementation rather than wind, solar, water and geothermal.

In the UK policy is initially set in the Renewables Obligation subsequently revised to become a mechanism Program Contracts-for-Difference (CFD), while in the Netherlands a similar program was originally known MEP and subsequently also revised the currently named SDE-plus. Countries in Asia are also slowly began to follow, this time two strong economies namely South Korea and Japan began to implement it. The program in South Korea set in RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) and Japan implement policies in FIT (Feed-in-tarrif). Gradually various countries began to follow him. While in the United States and Canada, most of the wood pellets used for heating (residential / space heating), especially in winter.

The Fear of Deforestation
The development of the massive production of wood pellets is much feared by some parties will stimulate the flow of deforestation including the scientist and policy observers have questioned whether energy generated from wood pellets capable of achieving these goals. Actually it does not need to worry, if it knows the production process at the same time selling price of wood pellets itself. Wood pellets are made from raw material of woody biomass could come from wood-waste or  cultivated through the energy forests or plantations, but with a note that the price of woody biomass as a raw material for wood pellets must worth as wood waste. If the price the price of woody biomass exceeds the wood waste in the market, so the production of wood pellets become uneconomical.

Trees or plants from industrial forests or community forests will produce wood especially for the sawmill, processing industries wood such as plywood, wood carpentry, furniture, construction, or even CLT (cross laminated timber) and so at rates far above the waste timber. Wood pellet mill also will not buy the wood due to economic reasons. Whereas if the energy plantation forests or plantations so  short rotation coppices or fast growing plants will produce woody biomass in large quantities and faster time with use marginal lands or unused lands, so will be economical for the production of wood pellets.

Wood from trees as a source of energy is a carbon-neutral fuels in combustion. Forests as Carbon Sink if the speed of harvesting and use of wood does not exceed the speed of growing trees or plants, in this case mainly energy forests or plantations. In addition, each MWh of electricity from coal is also emit more CO2 than from wood pellets, which at 150 kg CO2 released coal with wood pellets while only 45 kg. So the use of wood pellets is said to be also a low carbon economy activity.

Opportunities for Indonesia
Indonesia has a huge opportunity to capture these opportunities, it is because the extent of land available, the fertility of the soil and tropical climate. Short rotation coppice like calliandra very suitable to be cultivated to obtain the raw material of wood pellets. If the conditions in Europe or sub-tropical countries took 4 years to harvest woody biomass from SRC like the poplar and willow, then in Indonesia only took one year for calliandra achieve conditions such as poplars and willows. Energy forests or plantations are integrated with other agro-forestry and cattle or goats livestock could be the main attraction.

Racing for Lowering The Temperature Of The Earth (Part 2)

Biomass as 'carbon neutral fuel' certainly does not stand alone as a great scenario to lower the temperature of the earth due to global warming by greenhouse gas emissions. Advantages of biomass as a renewable energy source because  stable in use, in the sense that is not affected by climatic and weather conditions into a product that is reliable in various scale applications. Efforts to optimize the potential of biomass as an energy source can be viewed from the supply side to use.

On the supply side, the assuredness of supply of biomass as a raw material is an absolute must if you want to use as a primary energy source, for the amount of effort from collecting a variety of waste biomass that was originally only disposed to look for species with a short rotation coppice (SRC), high productivity and a positive effect on nature with is made energy plantations. One of these plants is Calliandra to the tropics, while in sub-tropical regions such as Europe using poplar and willow species. We should be grateful to Allah SWT because of the location in tropical Indonesia make caliandra crop productivity could be 4 times faster than the temperate sub-tropical or concrete four years poplar and willow in Europe as 1 year calliandra in Indonesia. 

While looking at the utilization, biomass energy should be used widely, easy, inexpensive and efficient. Biomass can be used in place or used elsewhere far enough. On the use of on-site or a short distance, biomass usually uniform in size or plus drying.  Whereas for use in locations far enough biomass need to be added process again with compaction (densification) in the form of pellets or briquettes. The biomass is then processed  in thermal route (the most popular) by combustion, pyrolysis or gasification to extract energy content.

The position of Europe has surpassed North America in a race to lower the temperature of the earth or the effort to reduce global warming. After previous EU implementing RED (EU's Renewable Energy Directive) commonly known as the 20-20-20 targets or mandates that are intended to reduce 20% of greenhouse gas emissions from 1995 as base level; 20% decrease in energy consumption; and to 20% for renewable energy. It also makes Europe is the largest consumer or market  of wood pellets with an estimated 80% of world production, followed by the United States and third, South Korea.

Currently the EU is being approached in 2020 for the realization of the 20-20-20 targets but on the other hand they began to prepare the draft for the new policy climate and energy issues from years 2020-2030. EU has proposed a new target in 2030 including a 40% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, a 30% decrease in energy consumption and 27% for the use of renewable energy. Currently they are also looking for a strategy to achieve the 2030 targets. History also shows how biomass policies is the main driver for the development of pellets market in Europe. It is also widely used as a model of a particular region or country to implement renewable energy policies, especially biomass sector.

Pellet Fuel from Corn Cobs and Stalks

Corn cobs and stalks is waste from the cultivation of corn. Generally both of the waste disposed of and is not utilized. The costly of energy prices, solution to problems of waste and increased value added by utilization of these wastes are the driving forces of the utilization of thay waste. Data for the year 2006 with the production of corn nationally 11.7 million tons,  the agricultural waste generated, i.e. 12.1 million tons. With the potential energy of the dried stems and leaves an estimated 66,35 GJ and corncob by 55,75 GJ certainly potential for a source of energy. Dried corn stems and leaves have a calorie value 4370 kcal/kg whereas the corn cob on 4451 kcal/kg at MC 7,53%.

Pelleting to be a pellets fuel is the best choice for the energy source. Pellets from waste agricultural corn can be used to fuel stoves on the agricultural area or for industrial or electricity generation and the potential for exporting abroad. Review of pellet fuel origin because from the waste corn agriculture these include biomass pellet or agri-pellets, that its specifications are slightly different from wood pellets. Production technology of  pellet from waste corn  is also almost the same as the production of wood pellets.

A number of areas where corn production centers throughout Indonesia is potential for developing these commodities due to the availability of raw materials, agricultural waste, tackle the problem of energy needs continue to rise and economic factors. As an environmentally friendly fuel, easily stored and used, as carbon neutral fuel will reduce the impact of climate change due to greenhouse gases and push low-carbon economy.

Die and Roller in Pelletiser

Pelletiser is the heart of the production of wood pellets. The quality and quantity of products of wood pellets is mainly determined by this equipmnent. Quality equipment of pelletiser itself is determined by the ability to produce wood pellets according to specifications or international standards. More and more product of wood pellets are produced or the longer lifespan (life) of pelletiser it indicates good quality. After going through the boundary of the capacity or useful life of the pelletiser to be replaced because it is no longer effective when continuously used. As a benchmark cost for this pelletiser range from Rp 40-75, -/kg wood pellets, including good category.

Pelletiser which is the principle of compression or suppression of material by the roller into the mold (die) to form wood pellets. The high friction on the roller and die on the raw materials and the heat causes the temperature of the metal wear faster. The greater the friction the more dense wood pellet produced  or hard but metal material of pelletiser wear faster. The quality of the metal material in the die and roller of pelletiser and pelletiser design itself contributes greatly to the performance and life of the pelletiser.

Currently there are two kinds pelletiser commonly used in the production process of wood pellet flat die and ring die. The flat die design simpler, commonly used for woodpellet production in small capacity, its history  adopted from animal feed pellet machine. While the type of ring die is a more advanced design, the technique of making it more difficult than further development of the type flat die and commonly used  in production of wood pellets medium-large scale.

Korean delegates see wood pellet potential in RI

Prof Gyu-Seong Han,  chairman of Korea Association of Pellet 

Abundant forests in Indonesia have the potential to supply Korea with much-needed biomass energy, says a Korean business delegate. 

Han Gyu-seong, chairman of Korea Association of Pellet, made the statement before around 50 Korean business delegates during the “Biomass Industry in Indonesia” business forum organized by the South Korea Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday.

Dr Ir Yetti Rusli,  The Forestry Ministry's environment and climate change expert

Thee forum discussed the prospects and challenges in developing Indonesia’s biomass potential, specifically wood pellets.

The East Asia nation saw an increase in pellet consumption, with 2013 figures estimated at 500,000 tons, compared to 174,000 tons in 2012.

Wood pellets, which can be used to fuel power plants, are compressed biomass deriving from sawdust and waste from sawmilling.

Kim Young-Sun, South Korean Ambassador

Many forum participants said the energy from wood pellets was “renewable, clean and economical”.

Korea is currently looking for biomass sources overseas, including from Indonesia, as the East Asian country is enforcing a 2012 energy policy mandating firms to resort to renewable energy to cut carbon emissions.

It is also targeting a 20 percent boost in renewable energy use as well as aiming to reduce fossil fuel consumption.

“Korea is the world’s 10th-largest energy consumer, fifth-largest oil importer, second-largest coal importer. Sixty-four percent of its electricity is produced from fossil fuels,” Han said.

To reach their objective, Korean firms have sought investments in a number of Asian countries for the development of wood pellets, mainly Vietnam and Malaysia.

Korea imported 122,447 tons of wood pellets in 2012, mainly from Russia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

According to data from Korea, Indonesia offers the cheapest pellet, with the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) price of US$ 131 per ton, below Vietnam’s US$ 144 per ton, and Malaysia’s US$ 141 per ton.

In Indonesia, Korean firm Depian Co. Ltd will work with state-run PT Inhutani III toward developing forest industries and a facility in Pelaihari, South Kalimantan, through PT SL Agri.

Depian has stated its readiness to invest US$20 million in the project, which will supply wood pellets to South Korea.

They will start building the planned facility in October and expect to start operating the plant by March 2014.

The plant will be able to produce 30,000 tons of wood pellets annually, before being upgraded to 100,000 tons annually in 2016.

Trees would be planted on 5,000 hectares to 8,000 hectares of industrial forest that PT Inhutani III was currently preparing, said SL Agri president director Muhammad Akbariah last month.

Depian plans to export all wood pellets produced at the plant back to South Korea.

Association of Indonesian Forest Concessionaires (APHI) executive director Purwadi Soeprihanto said the government should accelerate plantation forest development by issuing new licenses for industrial plantation forests, a key factor in supporting wood pellets.

“But if that is not possible, Korean firms can cooperate with domestic companies to use their licenses,” he said.

He said that out of the total industrial forest permits (HTIs) issued, only 45 percent were active. Many companies holding licenses had ceased operations due to losses.

“The government should also encourage clear incentives to utilize logging waste, as well as reduce
the fossil fuel subsidy,” Purwadi added. (asw)

Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/09/06/korean-delegates-see-wood-pellet-potential-ri.html

Carbon Neutral Fuel With Charcoal Briquettes

Laboratory Scale Charcoal Briquette Machine

Charcoal produced from pyrolysis process can then be used as fuel. Briquetting will make a more solid fuel that is cheaper to transport and easier to handle. Charcoal briquettes can be burned and last much longer and more consistently than lump charcoal. Fuel from biomass charcoal include carbon neutral fuel that does not contribute to global warming because of the carbon from the charcoal from plant sources by which plants take carbon from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. The carbon balance calculation (in terms of origin and utilization) will be neutral because there is no addition of elemental carbon to the atmosphere. Below are some photo-photo charcoal briquettes:
  

 Quality charcoal produced from pyrolysis process would also affect the quality of the fuel produced charcoal briquettes. In addition to mechanical devices to compress, adhesive is also used for the manufacture of charcoal briquettes. The form of lump charcoals will be reduced in size to a certain particle size, devices such as disk mill is widely used in laboratory scale. Various variables can be explored to produce good quality briquettes such as pressure, number and type of adhesive, the quality and size of the particles of charcoal and so on. Charcoal briquettes are widely used for barbeque, among others in the United States, Western European countries and Russia (Moscow)