The discovery of Terra Preta Soil sites in East Kalimantan Will Accelerate the Implementation of Biochar in Indonesia

One proof will be more meaningful than a thousand promises. The recent discovery of Terra Preta soil in Malinau, East Kalimantan province make more people pay attention to biochar, which will accelerate the implementation of biochar and grow a variety of biochar industries in various regions in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

To find out the news, please read the following article:

here and here.

Biomass Ash Behaviour in Pyrolysis Process

In most pyrolysis systems, the operating temperatures are fairly modest. It is commonly found at laboratory and rig scale that the inherent mineral material in biomass tends to be retained within char, and is not released into gas or vapour phase in sufficient quantities to cause ash deposition or other operational problems within the reactor or in the gas collection equipment.

Very little work has been carried out on the distribution and stability of heavy metals in biochar. High mineral-ash biochars (especially chicken manure biochar and activated carbon) are known to adsorb heavy metals.

Very little has been published on the distribution of mineral ash within different type of biochar. Of the inorganic elements that comprise mineral ash, most are believed to occur as discrete phases separate from the carbonaceous matrix. In some biochars, however, K and Ca are distributed throughout the matrix where they may form phenoxides (K, Ca) or simply be intercalated between grapheme sheets (K).

Minerals found in biochars include sylvite (KCl), quartz (SiO2), amorphous silica, calcite (CaCO3), hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2), and other minor phases such as Ca phosphates, anhydrite (CaSO4), various nitrates, and oxides and hydroxides of Ca, Mg, alumunium (Al), titanium (Ti), Mn, zinc (Zn) or Fe. Amorphous silica is of particular interest as it typically is in the form of phytoliths that contain and protect plant C from degradation. Crystalline silica is also of interest because it has been found in some biochars where it poses a very high level respiratory risk. Microprobe analysis of these biochars indicates that there is a large variation of mineral content even within each particle.

Huge Demand of Torrified Biomass For Energy Application

Biomass ranks fourth as energy resource on global basis. Biomass is CO2 neutral and contains very little sulfur, hence it does not contribute greatly to acid-rain problems. Biomass have unique role on a renewable energy source.While the growing need for sustainable electric power can be met by other renewables, biomass is our only renewable source of carbon-based fuels and chemicals. Bioenergy is the word used for energy associated to biomass, and biofuel is the bioenergy carrier, transporting solar energy stored as chemical energy. Biofuels can be considered a renewable source of energy as long as they based on sustainable biomass production.

As Europe is very much the center of the global wood fuel market in general and the wood pellet/briquette market in particular, it comes as no surprise that vast majority of big wood fuel producers  of many countries have European countries as their final destination. With the goal set by the European Union to achieve a 20% share of renewable energy in the energy mix and a 20% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC, 2009) it is likely that the increase in EU demand for bioenergy will accelerate. However, it is also likely that a large share of future use of bioenergy in Europe will be from biomass of non-European origin as the resources are unlikely to be cost cost-competitive compared to biomass to biomass imported from other parts of the world.  

Trading wood fuel is always complex due to the biomass itself being both low in value per volume unit as well as difficult to store and transport as a result of it being a “living material” and hence susceptible to degradation from biological processes. Torrefaction is a technology to improve the quality of the biomass fuel and is followed by densification (pelleting / briquetting) will save transportation costs. Torrefaction has many advantages that overcome some problems in the wood fuel in general.

The quantities of biomass co-fired in large coal fired and other fossil fuel-fired power plant boiler have increased fairly dramatically over the past few years, particularly in Northern Europe but also elsewhere in the world. The level of co-firing activity worldwide, and the co-firing ratios at specific plants, are likely to increase further over the next few years.

Biomass materials have significant levels of inorganic matter as impurities, and many of the practical problems encountered with the combustion of biomass materials, or the co-combustion of biomass materials with coal and other fossil fuel, are associated with the nature and behaviour of the biomass ash and the other inorganic constituents. In practical terms, the ash-related problems in biomass combustors and boilers, and in plants co-firing biomass with more conventional fossil fuels, have commonly been associated with:

-The formation of fused or partly fused ash agglomerates and slag deposits at high temperature within furnaces;

-The formation of bonded ash deposits at lower gas temperatures on the heat exchange surfaces in the boiler convective sections and elsewhere;

-The accelerated metal wastage of boiler components due to gas-side corrosion and erosion;

-The formation and emmision of sub-micron aerosols and fumes; and

-The handling and utilization/disposal of ash residues from biomass combustion plants, and of the mixed ash residues from the co-firing of biomass in coal-fired boilers.

In very general terms, the nature of the problems and the impact on plant perfomance depend both on the characteristics of the biomass fuel, i.e. principally on the ash content and the ash chemistry, and on the design and operation of the combustion equipment and the boiler. Raw material have significant role of the densified (pellet/briquette) torrefied biomass quality. We will choose raw material with low ash content and a high ash melting temperature.

The peat and coal have the higher ash contents, but only a relatively small portion of the mineral material is in the water and acetate soluble fractions and is considered to contribute to the formation of the fine ash/aerosol material. In the case of the biomass materials, the total mineral contents are lower, but a much higher proportion of the mineral material is considered to contribute to the formation of the fine ash/aerosol fraction. The ash residue is normally weighed to provide an estimate of the ash content of the fuel, and then analysed for the ten major elements present in coal ashes, i.e. SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, TiO, Na2O, K2O3, P2O5 dan SO3.

Usually slagging takes place with biomass fuels containing more than 4% ash and non-slagging fuels with ash content less than 4%. The ash content of different types of biomass is an indicator of slagging behaviour of the biomass. Generally, the greater the ash content, the greater the slagging behaviour. But this does not mean that biomass with lower ash content will not show any slagging behaviour. The temperature of combustion temperature, the mineral compostion of ash and their percentage combined determine the slagging behaviour. If conditions are favorable, the the degree of slagging will be greater. Minerals like SiO2, Na2O and K2O3 are more trouble some.

The selection of raw materials is an important factor for the production of torrified biomass. High quality torrified biomass need to be produced to meet a variety of industrial and domestic needs. Chemical treatment of raw materials can be made ​​to increasing the quality of raw materials, but it will do if the quality of raw materials is not sufficient anymore. Finally a reliable technology for the production of  torrified biomass absolutely necessary to meet those needs.

Save Your Multi-Million Industries with Soil Amendment Based Activated Carbon

Golf courses can suffer devastating damage due to over fertilizing or chemical spills. The University of Florida’s 2009 Pest Control Guide for Turf Managers states that it is a good idea to keep a bag or two of activated charcoal in stock at all times when managing fine turf so that the activated charcoal can be applied almost immediately without having to wait for delivery after an accidental spill.

A high end golf course in South Carolina lost months of play during the peak tourist season due to an accidental mix-up in which weed killer instead of fertilizer was sprayed on several fairways. Activated carbon effectively removes organic toxins, such as herbicides, from soil, to provide a safe environment for new or existing root systems. Once the

toxin has been adsorbed onto the carbon, it is biologically inactive and cannot cause further damage.

The DirtDoctor website is dedicated to the issues that affect organic gardeners and covers a widerangeof topics. In response to a question on “Soil Detox for Contaminated Soil” the website expert, Howard Garrett, replied: “Digging the soil out and hauling it off is not the answer. If your soil has been contaminated with heavy metals like arsenic and chromium in treated lumber or creosote in railroad ties, or with lead and arsenic from iron supplements, or if the contamination is from pesticides or petroleum spills, the solution is the same. First, stop the contamination. Second, apply the activated charcoal/ carbon.”

Another way that the activated carbon will  protects the environment is its use in removing pesticides from streams and rivers by spraying the edges of fields. This prevents harmful chemicals from entering waterways and contaminating not only the water, but also the aquatic life and plants that make up their fragile ecosystems.

Activated carbon provides unique performance capabilities that help protect our environment. It is widely used in agriculture as a soil amendment to protect and enhance plant and turfgrass growth and vigor. Its ability to decontaminate soil is beneficial when replanting ornamentals, turfgrass or food crops where herbicides have been previously applied. The effectiveness of activated carbon for these applications has made it the product of choice of leading industry professionals.

To reach that purpose of course, reliable industrial charcoal plant needed to support that activated carbon industry. Our system will produce charcoal as you wish, as we fully realize that activated carbon industry need high quality charcoal for their consintent quality of activated carbon. 

Go Green With Sustainable Energy For All

UN Secretary-General BanKi-moon has called on governments, the private sector and society to commit to his Sustainable Energy for All Initiative at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

In his keynote at WFES, Ban Ki-moon said he has designated sustainable development as his top priority for his next five-year term, and he has set out three objectives to be achieved by 2030:

1. Universal access to modern energy services;
2. Double the rate of improvement of energy efficiency; and
3. Double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Work on an Action Agenda has already started.Energy transforms lives, businesses and economies. And it transforms our planet — its climate, natural resources and ecosystems. There can be no development without energy.

Biomass is the fourth largest energy source in the world. In contrast to water, wind and solar thermal, biomass is the only energy source that does not depend on the weather in order to ensure stable energy production. Most of the biomass has been used optimally in developed countries, but otherwise there are still many untapped in developing countries. Yet millions of tons of biomass produced annually as a result of agricultural and agro-industrial residue.

Pyrolysis is a technology to process biomass into high-grade fuel. Application of pyrolysis products that biochar can also improve soil fertility. Problem is the lack of electricity supply is a common problem especially in developing countries. According to Ban Ki-moon one in five residents of this planet do not have access to electricity services. Syngas produced from continuous pyrolysis can be used to power plants in remote areas that are rich in potential biomass. 

Green Technology For Palm Oil Mills

Pyrolysis  is the best technology for palm oil mill biomass waste utilization and on the other side to meet the energy needs of the production process at the oil mill.  Energy is one of the highest cost component  in palm oil mills. Reducing  the cost of production is certainly a very attractive  option to increase the profits of the industry. In addition to  reducing the palm oil mill biomass waste and energy  sufficiency, pyrolysis  application will also provide benefits to soil fertility for the  use of biochar plantations, as shown below. Charcoal from  palm empty fruit bunches  are more suitable for the biochar production to  increase soil fertility due to the high ash content which is about 16.60% or higher than ash of palm shell. Charcoal from empty fruit bunches also good for barbeque charcoal, it means lower quality than industrial charcoal application.

Production of  "green fuel"  of pyrolized palm shells are very potential and promising for palm shell  charcoal briquettes.  With our technology the palm shells can be pyrolyzed for increasing energy density  as high as possible, especially for metal casting or smelter applications with calorific value of 8,000 kcal / kg or more.  Biooil which is the liquid pyrolysis products can be directly used as fuel in the boiler furnace or further purified  for the production of a variety of liquid fuels or as raw material for various chemicals. While  the wood vinegar,liquid products other than biooil will be used as fertilizer  for the palm oil plantation.

Conventional Energy system  of palm oil mill looks  like the diagram below

Conventional Energy System in Palm Oil Mill

Will then be turned into such a scheme following for the  application of continuous  pyrolysis:

Improved Palm Oil Mill with Continous Pyrolysis System

Waste heat recovery from the pyrolysis unit was also  still be used to increase energy production.

Excess  of oil palm shell is also potential for torrefied wood production.Our pyrolysis technology is able to work on the torrefaction mode in addition to the pyrolysis itself. More on our continuous pyrolysis technology, please  click here or here.

Three Motivations For Biomass Thermal Conversion

At least, three motivating factors on biomass thermal conversion, like is mentioned below :

A.    Renewability Benefit
Fossil fuel like coal, oil and gas are good and convenient source of energy, and they meet the energy demands of society very effectively. However, there is one major problem: Fossil fuel resources are finite and not renewable.Biomass on the other hand, grows and is renewable. A crop cut this year will grow again next year; a tree cut today may grow up within a decade. Unlike fossil fuel, then, biomass is not likely to be depleted with consumption. For this reason, its use, especially for energy production, is rising fast.

We may argue against cutting trees for energy because they serve as a CO2 sink. This is true, but a tree stops absorbing CO2 after it dies. On the other hand, if left alone in the forest it can release CO2 in a forest fire or release more harmful CH4 when it decomposes in water. The use of a tree as fuel after its life provides carbon-neutral energy as well as avoids greenhouse gas release from deadwood. The best option is new planting following cutting, as is done by some pulp industries. Fast-growing plants like switch grass and Miscanthus are being considered as fuel for new energy projects. These plants have very short growing periods that can be counted in months.

B.    Enviromental Benefit
With growing evidence of global warming, the need to reduce human-made greenhouse gas emissions is being recognized. Emission of other air pollutants, such as NO2, SO2, and Hg, is no longer acceptable, as it was in the  past. In elementary schools and in corporate boardrooms, the environment is a major issue, and it has been major driver for biomass thermal conversion such as pyrolysis for energy production. Biomass has a special appeal in this regard, as it makes no net contribution to carbondioxide emission to the atmosphere.

Regulations for making biomass economically viable are in the place in many countries. For example, if biomass replace fossil fuel in a plant, that plant earns credit for CO2 reduction equivalent to what the fossil fuel was emitting. This credits can be sold on the market for additional revenue in countries where such trades are in practice.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions
When burned, biomass release the CO2 it absorbed from the atmosphere in the recent past, not millions of years ago, as with fossil fuel. The net addition of CO2 to the atmosphere through biomass combustion is thus considered to be zero.

Sulfur Removal
Most virgin or fresh biomass contains little to no sulfur. Biomass-derived feedstock such as municipal solid waste (MSW) or sewage sludge does contain sulfur, which requires limestone for capture of it. Interestingly, such derived feedstock also contains small amounts of calcium, which intrinsically aids sulfur capture.

Nitrogen Removal
A combustion system firing fossil fuel can oxidize the nitrogen in fuel and in air into NO, the acid rain precursor, or into N2O, a greenhouse gas. Both are difficult to remove. In a pyrolysis system, nitrogen appears as either N2 or NH3, which is removed relatively easily in the syngas-cleaning stage.
Nitrous oxide emission results from the oxidation of fuel nitrogen alone. Measurement in a biomass combustion system showed a very low level of N2O emission (Van Loo and Koppejan, 2008, p.295)

Dust and Other Hazardous Gases
 Highly toxic pollutants like dioxin and furan, which can be released in a combustion system, are not likely to form in an oxygen-absenced pyrolyzer. Particulate in the syngas is also reduced significantly by multiple gas clean up systems.

C.    Sociopolitical Benefit

The sociopolitical benefits of biomass are substantial. For one, biomass is locally grown resource. For one, biomass is a locally grown resource. For a biomass-based power plant to be economically viable, the biomass needs to come from within a certain distance from it.  This means that every biomass plant can prompt the development of associated industries for biomass growing, collecting, and transporting.
Some believe that a biomass fuel plant could create up to 20 times more employment than that created by a coal-or oil-based plant (Van Loo and Koppejan, 2008, p.1).  The biomass industry thus has a positive impact on the local economy.

Another very important aspect of biomass-based energy, fuel, or chemicals is that they reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. The volatile global political landscape has shown that supply and price can change dramatically within a short time, with a sharp rise in the price of feedstock. Locally grown biomass is relatively free from such uncertainties.