Production of Biophenol, Bioformaldehyde and Wood Adhesive from Pyrolysis Liquid Products

The byproducts of biomass (slow) pyrolysis are liquid and gas products. The liquid products consist of biooil and biomass vinegar (pyroligneous acid). Biooils can be directly used as fuel with a particular burner, or can also be upgraded to the vehicle fuel. Meanwhile, if used for non-energy products, can be used for the production of green chemical or renewable chemicals such as BioFormaldehyde and wood adhesive. While the aqueous phase of pyrolysis liquid product that is biomass vinegar (pyroligneous acid) can be used for feedstock biophenol production. Previously biomass vinegar has been known for various uses such as latex coagulant, anti-termite and fertilizer. While the biophenol production process scheme of biomass vinegar as follows.

Global consumption for phenol currently reaches 20 million tons or worth 20 billion US dollars (280 trillion rupiah). Renewable phenol or biophenol can substitute phenol which has been produced based on petroleum. Excess heat and excess syngas from the pyrolysis process can be used for the production process of the biophenol as energy sources. An integrated and efficient production unit will produce highly competitive products, such as the pyrolysis process which is primarily charcoal, and from its by-products made derivative products that are desperately needed today.

Set Up Wood Pellets Production in Southeast Asia

Korea and Japan are the main destinations of the wood pellet market especially for producers in Southeast Asia. Korea with Renewable Portolio Standard (RPS) policy, while Japan with feed in tarrif. So the estimated needs of wood pellet of both countries reached 10 million tons in 2020 and so on. Currently most of the supply of wood pellets in Japan from Canada and for Korea in supply mainly from Vietnam. In 2019 and beyond in Japan will be importing wood pellets in large quantities because a number of power plant facilities began to operate.

Based on a number of analyzes, one of them can be read here, there was a decline in the production of woody biomass in Southeast Asia from 815.9 million tons (16.3 EJ) in 1990 to 359.3 million tons in 2020 predictions. This condition occurs due to deforestation and excessive logging (including illegal logging). The destruction of the forest is certainly a cause of concern for the disaster also needs to be solved solution as soon as possible. Reforestation can be done as a solution to forest destruction. There are two types of tree groups for the solution of fast growing species and slow growing species. Determination of both types of trees in accordance with the vision and mission of the forest area concerned. In addition, there is also a production forest area that can be used for wood production for energy or especially wood pellet production. Rapid rotation trees such as calliandra are suitable for production forest areas or industrial plantations.

The production of wood pellets from the above energy forest or energy plantation in an industrial timber estate is an ideal concept. With such energy plantation even the supply and continuity of raw materials will be more secure and sustainable because of the wood harvested from the planted plantation itself. Production capacity can also be large in proportion to the size of the plantation. Countries in Southeast Asia have generally still have a large land and are in a zone of tropical climate so that its development potential is very strategic. The tropical climate plus high rainfall makes the growth of trees in the energy plantation to be optimal. Subtropical climates, although they can produce wood from energy plantations but will take longer, and even less rainfall. 1 year time in eg Indonesia will be equivalent to 4 years in subtropical countries for the production of woody biomass from the energy plantations.

Southeast Asian countries have a strategic position to supply wood pellets to Japan and Korea. There are at least two things underlying, namely: first, the position or location of Southeast Asia adjacent to Japan and Korea as its market destination. Second, the availability of raw materials in the form of abundant biomass in the area, even with the location close to the equator so that the tropical climate with high rainfall that supports the growth of plants as a source of biomass. In general, more than 50% of Southeast Asia is overgrown with forests (except Singapore and Brunei Darussalam). Forests produce various types of wood. Forests in Southeast Asia consist of several species, including tropical rain forests (equatorial), tropical monsoon forest, forest, mountain forests, coastal forests, and swamp forests. Most of the forests that grow are tropical rain forests. Then how the characteristics of the tropical forest? Here are the characteristics of the tropical forest:

1) The leaves are green all year round.

2) The distance between trees tight and the thick leaf cover.

3) There are layers of plant species.

4) Underage is rarely encountered.

5) Many parasitic and creeping plants

And here's a description of the potential for biomass in Southeast Asian countries:

-Indonesia

Indonesia has the largest forest among the countries in Southeast Asia, but it also has the largest area. Forest area reaches about 60% with mostly outside Java. Java Island is the most populous island with 60% of Indonesia's population live there, seen the most luminous island of Java when photographed with satellite at night. There are 80 million hectares of production forest that can be used for various industrial tree crops, especially energy forests or plantations for wood pellet production.

-Malaysia

Currently, it is estimated that 59% of Malaysia's land is still in the form of forest. Efforts to repair forest destruction due to erosion continue to be done Malaysia state. Various high value added crops continue to be pursued, including how to generate faster profits such as rattan for intermediate harvest before the main harvest takes longer. Energy forests or plantations that can be harvested with fast time, without replanting up to tens of years will be an attractive option.

-Thailand

In 1961 an area of ​​56% of Thailand is a forest area. But in the 1980s the forest area had been reduced to less than 30% or vanished as much as 130,000 km2 (26%). Hardwoods such as teak have dominated the forest timber products. Efforts to restore the forest area, while reducing the pressure of forests for deforestation are urgently needed. Making  energy forests or an plantationsfor wood pellet production will provide a solution to the problem, as it will drive a forest-based and sustainable economic sector.

-Vietnam

The topography consists of hills and dense wooded mountains, with lowlands covering no more than 20%. Mountains account for 40% of Vietnam's total area, with small hills contributing 40% and tropical forests 42%. Energy plantations or forests will also be an attractive option for sustaining forests and driving the economic sector.

-The Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago country that has many volcanoes as a series of Pacific Sirkum Mountains. The fertile soil conditions strongly support agrarian activities covering agriculture (in the form of rice, corn, and abaca or manila fiber), fisheries and forestry (almost half or 40% of land area is forest). In addition, the river is short-flow with a heavy flow can be used as a source of energy. Energy plantations or forests for wood pellet production will also be attractively developed even with the supply of electricity from hydroelectric power, thereby completely free of fossil fuels.

-Cambodia

Cambodia actually has great forestry potential. Recorded in 1969 forest area in Cambodia more than 70%, but in 2007 to less than 5%. The country is considered one of the world's highest deforesting countries. More than 25,000 square kilometers of forest disappeared during that time. Reforestation efforts continue to be pursued. Energy plantations or forests can be one solution to reforestation while suppressing deforestation.

-Laos

The forest in Laos is also very wide which covers about half the country. The forests enter tropical rainforest, bamboo forest, and mixed forest. About 70% of the Laos region is mountainous and there is Mount Bia as high as 2,819 meters which is the highest mountain in the country. However, these forests are in danger because of excessive logging in areas such as the South and Southeast. In early 1993, the Lao government proclaimed 21% of the country's territory as the National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA), which may be developed into a national park. Once completed, it is expected to be the best and largest national park in Southeast Asia. Energy plantations or energy forests can be an ongoing solution to reforesting bare forests while creating jobs with wood pellet production.

-Myanmar

Myanmar has a varied landscape from the lowlands to the mountains. The number of large rivers and volcanoes cause the soil conditions are very fertile. It is very supportive for agrarian activities such as agriculture, plantation, and forestry. Almost 52% of the area is still in the form of forests that produce a lot of timber. Teak is primarily the main product of forest wood in Myanmar. Energy plantations or forests with rapid rotation for wood pellet production will be an attractive option. This is because to produce teak takes decades, while wood from the energy plantation for wood pellet production only takes one year and can be harvested continuously throughout the year.

The processing of biomass into wood pellets is essentially compaction (densification). After the particle size and dryness level are appropriate then the biomass can then be pelleed. If the biomass does not have the appropriate size and level of dryness then it needs to be prepared with a certain pretreatment so that it can reach the condition. A sizing and drying equiment is commonly used to achieve the condition. Sizing equiments are usually chipper and hammer mill. The two stages are reduced in size to ensure the desired particle size. An appropriate particle size makes the pellet density to be of the expected standard.

Rotary dryer or drum dryer is a drying equipment commonly used to achieve the expected dryness level, which is about 10%. Too dry or too wet will result in the quality of resulting pellets. When the raw material is too dry the pellet is not formed but if the raw material is too wet the pellet surface will crack and break easily when cooled. The shape and size of die on the pelletiser also vary according to the type of wood used. To get optimal result that almost all raw materials can be converted into pellet and only very little still remain in the form of powder (fine), then the size and shape of the die must be in accordance with the characteristics of wood powder or raw material.

Once out of pelletiser, wood pellet then cooled so that it becomes hard and has a smooth and shiny surface. Cooling is also done gradually so that the pellet is not cracked and broken because of a drastic reduction in temperature. Counter current type of cooling is commonly used for cooling. With the counter current mechanism the cooling process can run gradually so that the quality of pellet is maintained. After cooling, wood pellets are then sieved to separate with the dust and last stored or in packing for subsequent ready for sale especially export market.

Set Up Wood Charcoal Briquette Production in ASEAN Countries

ASEAN countries have large forests and various forest resources. However, there is a decrease in some countries due to irregular logging in some countries. This is why sustainable forest management is needed to maintain the biomass of forest resources. Indonesia has the largest forest area, but has declined since 1990 primarily due to illegal logging and forest fires. Malaysia has the highest number of biomass and forest growth in area ratio, while Thailand is the lowest. This could also be due to higher rainfall in Malaysia compared to other ASEAN countries, which is 2,875 mm / year, with an world average of 900 mm / year and Indonesia 2700 mm / year. For more details can be seen in table below. Indonesia and Malaysia mainly produce sawn wood and plywood, while Thailand is wood chip and particle board. Vietnam produces many sawn wood, while Cambodia and Laos consume lots of logs as fuel.

Wood charcoal briquette or sawdust charcoal briquette have a very high market especially in Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. These countries use sawdust briquette charcoal to bake the meat, especially the lamb which is a favorite food there. The production of sawdust briquette charcoal uses logging residues and industrial wood residues. This should be the extent of forest and wood processing industries comparable to the sawdust briquette charcoal industry. The abundant logging wastes are usually the tops of small diameter trees and branches. The logging waste is about 100% average for the production of the logs themselves, so that the amount is huge. Sabah, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia produces many of these logging wastes at very cheap prices.

As for waste wood processing industry is usually in the form of sawdust, and wood pieces both board and round wood. It is estimated there are 1600 sawmills and 120 plywood factories in Indonesia. The raw materials of the plywood industry are originally from natural forest, but as demand continues to increase the supply of natural forest timber decrease so that it shifts with wood from the planted trees. When using wood from natural forest, the diameter of wood can be more than 70 cm and when using wood the trees planted wood diameter is only about 30 cm. Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia at first many plywood factories were operating but due to the declining timber supply of many of these factories which shut down production. The yield of plywood from raw materials is 50%, while the remainder becomes waste. Part of the waste is used for block board and packing material, but only about 10%, so 40% is still waste. 

While in Malaysia, the total volume of wood industry waste estimated 7.5 million cubic meters per year. The highest sawmill waste in Sabah, while plywood waste in Sarawak. Sawmill produces sawn wood products ranging from 40-65% and the remaining 35-60% are sawdust. While yield for ply wood ranged 50-60%, while 40-50% as waste. For the molding plant its yield is higher ie 70-74%, means waste 26-30%. Percentage of wood waste from 75% ply wood industry and 25% from saw mill industry. Utilization of wood industry waste is still not optimal, even just stockpiled and then burned because it is considered polluting the environment.

In Laos, there are about 200 wood processing factories (furniture, packing materials, flooring and doors) located mostly around Vientiane, the capital of Laos and only one plywood factory. Charcoal producers are scattered everywhere in the country due to high demand for households. The yield of the wood processing industry is about 60%, so that 40% is waste. Utilization of waste is also not optimal, such as sawdust just dumped just behind the saw mill.

Production of sawdust briquette charcoal (wood briquette charcoal) will be the solution for the utilization of such waste. Sawdust is the best raw material because it does not need size reduction and can be shorter production process. Whereas if the waste is still in the form of pieces of wood then it needs for size reduction first to the size of the particle like sawdust. After that if the wood powder is still wet (moisture content more than 10%) it is necessary for drying with a rotary dryer or drum dryer. Furthermore, after dry powder material is followed by briquetting and carbonisation process into sawdust briquette charcoal as the product. 

Heat Gasifier and Stirling Engine For Remote Villages Electric Solutions

Remote villages far from PLN's electricity network will find it hard to get electricity, especially those on small islands with limited populations. These remote villages are also generally left behind villages and still need special attention. Currently such villages are still very much found in Indonesia, ie 60% or about 50,000 villages, as a more real picture in Java with an average ratio of 3 out of 10 while in Sumatra the ratio is 7 out of 10 and Irian 9 of 10 villages enter left behind villages. One effort to give attention and develop the villages is by providing electricity for their various needs including access to information with the outside world. The availability of energy, especially electricity, also encourages them to be independent with various kinds of production.

Based on the above conditions so it takes small generators that can be operated in the remote villages. The concept of decentralization will be able to reach these areas. To run the plants easily also requires energy resources that abundant available in the villages and especially woody biomass in general is abundant in the rural areas. Even to get the supply of wood energy sources can also be done specifically for example by making energy plantations. Energy plantations with leguminoceae crops such as calliandra will be very effective and efficient to continue to maintain woody biomass supply at these powerplants. In addition, energy plantations is also very possible to be integrated with farms such as sheep and so on.

Gasification is a widely used technology for generating electricity from biomass or into a power gasifier group. Operational problems in gasification are usually on gas purification. Tar is the main impurity gasification unit so it needs frequent maintenance to keep the gas clean. The better the gas cleaning unit then the maintenance period is less frequent and vice versa. The better the unit will usually also be more complicated and more expensive. Internal combustion engines always need a clean fuel supply to be able to operate stably. Dirty fuel will disrupt the operation of the powerplant, such as crust and blockage in the combustion chamber and so on.

Stirling Engine Mechanism

Another alternative to the biomass power plant is with the stirling engine. Stirling engines have in common with the internal combustion engine that is an equipment or converter that produces mechanical energy which is then converted into electricity with a generator. The difference is stirling engine heat engine that converts heat into mechanical energy. While the heat production is done outside the engine, so the stirling engine can also be external combustion engine if the heat source comes from burning outside the unit. In this case so that gasification can also be used, but positioned as heat producer or heat generator used for by stirling engine. Gasifiers that use biomass to generate heat enter the heat gasifier group. The configuration of the heat gasifier is simpler than the power gasifier, this is because the heat gasifier does not need a complex cleaning and conditioning equipment such as gas power gasifier. Moreover, used is a type of downdraft gasifier that the amount of impurity is minimal.

Power Gasifier Diagram

Heat Gasifier Diagram

Stirling engines just like gasification is a not new thing. Both technologies are widely used when there is an energy crisis a few decades ago. At that time both technologies are widely used to move various transportation facilities and also power plants. When current conditions of fossil fuel use awareness increasingly have to be reduced or even should not use fossil fuels or due to environmental aspect pressure then renewable energy becomes an option and technologies such as gasification and stirling engines reappear. Specific factors for the condition of Indonesia are also a driving force namely a large area and still many are in remote areas while the supply of fuel especially petroleum based fuel is difficult to obtain while abundant woody biomass and very easy to obtain. Simple, easy-to-operate, efficient and low maintenance biomass power plant solutions will be Indonesia's electrical solutions as well as environmental solutions.

Production of Pellets and Briquettes from Waste Of Albasia Wood Working Factories

Albasia is a tree that many people planted in various areas within the forest area. It is currently estimated that the albasia plantation area is more than 1 hectare in Indonesia. Wood is the main product of the albasia plantation. The wood is processed into various products of logs, wood boards, plywood, barecore, to pallet. Albasia wood is softwood and produced from the harvest timber of the plantation is at the age of trees approximately 5 years. The centers of albasia plantations in Indonesia are centered on the island of Java and Kalimantan.

Waste from the albasia wood processing are sawdust, pieces of wood, bark and wood shavings. There are still many untapped waste and pollute the environment. The production of wood pellets and wood briquette with these raw materials will overcome environmental problems, move the economic sector from waste treatment or especially bioeconomy which is predicted to be a trend in the not too distant future. The simplest wood processing industry of albasia is sawmill which is the most number of processing compared with the industries downstream. Each sawmill on average produces waste of sawdust 3 m3 / day (600 kg / day) so that for 10 saw mills will produces 6 tons / day of sawdust with an average moisture content of 30%.

The production of briquettes and pellets from wood waste is much in common, because basically the same technology that is biomass compaction (biomass densification). Differences from the production of briquettes and pellets only at the end process namely compactor or the press machine. In the industrial production of pellets will produce the same form that is in the form of cylinder, only the diameter is different and there is no difference pelletisation technology. Ring die pellet press is a pelletiser commonly used for biomass pelletisation in industry especially made from woody biomass raw material. While on briquettes, in addition to different sizes, the shape of the briquettes also vary. Briquettes generally also have a higher density than pellets, even more than a twice. Pellet has a density of about 650 kg / m3 while briquettes can reach 1400 kg / m3.

The easiest way to distinguish briquettes with pellet that is from the physical size. Briquettes have larger size than pellets. Generally, briquetting is also easier than pelleting process. Unlike the pellets that only use the roller press, briquette production using several kinds of technology namely, screw press, hydraulic and piston press. A brief review of the technology can be read here. Screw press technology has many advantages over hydraulic and piston press, such as screw press technology briquettes also have holes in the centre so as to facilitate combustion, and also easy for carbonisation. Screw press technology also produces briquettes continuously, unlike the hydraulic in batch operating.

Another factor that also greatly affect the processing of albasia wood waste processing is, of course, investment or price equipment or production units. Pellet production units are generally more expensive than briquettes, even the briquette production unit is only about half the pellet production unit. This makes briquette entry barrier for production easier or smaller than pellet production. Even briquette screw press technology has been well mastered in Indonesia including up to carbonization process and has been operating for more than 25 years. Fabrication and spare parts of screw press briquette have also been completely mastered, so the processing of albasia wood waste is easier to implement immediately.

Hydrothermal Carbonisation (HTC) Technology, Suitable For EFB Ugrading

Various efforts are made to improve the quality of biomass fuel so that it can be used especially on existing power plants. Power plants are the largest users of biomass fuels today as well as one of the main targets for reducing emissions by renewable fuels or carbon neutral fuel. Characteristics of raw materials and power generation technology becomes an important consideration in determining the technology of the fuel production process. The palm oil industry with the number of CPO producers (Palm Oil Mills) amounting to thousands (Indonesia and Malaysia) and the area of ​​oil palm plantations of 12 million hectares in Indonesia as well as 5 million hectares in Malaysia make it a target source of biomass raw materials. In the palm oil industry the amount of biomass produced is much more than oil or CPO as its main product, ie 10% oil and 90% biomass as illustrated below.

After the previous palm kernel shell (PKS) to fuel mainstay and sought for power plants because the properties are very appropriate, especially those using fluidized bed combustion (FBC), well next empty palm bunches or EFB which is very abundant and has not been used the next target for biomass fuel sources. If the PKS can already be used (just a little cleaning) by the power plants, then for EFB need to processing prior to be used because of the moisture content, size, shape and sometimes the chemical properties. EFB has high chlorine and potassium content so not all power plants are compatible with the fuel. If EFB is made into EFB pellet then FBC generator as used PKS can use it but for pulverized type is not suitable, because of the high chlorine and potassium content.

Such conditions create innovations so that EFB can be a suitable fuel for pulverized power plants that are widely used today. The innovation is a technology that can reduce the content of chlorine and potassium in particular, and increase its energy content. The technology is hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) or wet carbonisation so that the chemical ash in the form of chlorine and potassium can be dissolved by dissolving in water such as leaching and also its energy content can be increased by carbonization. In addition, the EFB condition of the palm oil mills with moisture content above 60% or wet biomass also simplify the application of hydrothermal carbonization technology.

The amount of EFB is huge, it is estimated that Indonesia alone reaches more than 35 million tons and in Malaysia is also very much that is more than 15 million tons, or from two of the largest producer of CPO at present the potential of EFB that can be processed reaches more than 50 million tons / year. In addition to addressing environmental issues, EFB processing will also drive a sizable economic sector. With hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) technology, EFB properties can be upgraded to fit the current powerplant commonly used. Fears of power generation due to high chlorine content, and potassium can be overcome with such technology. To save transportation costs while facilitating handling, storage and usage, EFB products that have been processed with hydrothermal carbonisation or HTC EFB (EFB hydrochar) are further densified into pellets and briquettes. It seems that this technology has provided an answer as well as opening up new opportunities for EFB processing into favorite biomass fuels such as wood pellets and PKS.

Solar PV or Biomass to Energy?

Indonesia is a tropical country with high rainfall, so even though the sun is shining throughout the year, but a lot of cloudy and rainy. This is an important consideration for the priorities and options of renewable energy that will be developed. Based on these conditions, the choice of biomass to energy or bioenergy development is more suitable for Indonesia condition, rather than solar PV. The availability of sunlight and high rainfall makes a variety of plants can grow well and optimally. Meanwhile, if with solar PV then when there is cloudy and rain then the intensity also dropped drastically. An analysis says if there is a cloud over the intensity of solar PV drops to 20% so to maintain the stability of its electricity supply required 5 units of solar PV. Of course it becomes very expensive especially investment for solar PV and more especially in batterai also still expensive for condition today. Solar PV is suitable for conditions with blazing sunlight with relatively stable intensity and minimum rainfall, making it suitable for desiccated desert areas such as the Arab regions or the Africa regions.

The practically development of energy plantation with the woody biomass harvested for wood pellet production is one of the concrete efforts of biomass to energy. With energy plantations, sunlight is captured by plants for photosynthesis to produce biomass especially wood for energy. Tens million of hectares of land are available in Indonesia that can be used for energy plantations. Apart from being a source of energy, energy plantations are also improving the ecosystem. Integration with sheep farming will also optimize the energy planation because the leaves are rich in protein from leguminoceae type of energy plantation trees will be converted into meat with the farm. Sheep manure can also be as fertilizer in the energy plantation. Moreover, the benefits of energy plantations are also not less than palm oil plantations, for more details can be read here or it could also palm oil planation owners begin to diversify their plantations with energy plantations, for more detail can be read here.