Biofuels derived from wood that has been compressed fibre are called wood pellets. When logs are processed into timber and other high-value wood products the leftovers from the sawmilling process are mostly used to make wood pellets. A growing source of raw materials for wood pellets is the gathering of forest residues and low-quality logs that were previously discarded. The industry that offers wood pellets for sale reduces waste by using fibre that was previously burned or abandoned to make lucrative, low-carbon fuels.
How Woode Pellets are made?
Producing wood pellets requires the removal of moisture from entering the wood fibre, grinding the fibre into dust, and compressing the dust into tiny cylinders,8 x 40 diameter. As a result of the heat used in this procedure, the crushed particles are held together by lignin, a natural polymer contained in wood. The end result is a product that is dry, tightly compacted, high in energy value and suitable for efficient long-distance transportation.
Are wood pellets a low-carbon, renewable source of energy?
Scientists and international organisations recognise wood pellets as a biofuel that is more climate-friendly than fossil fuels. The enormous greenhouse gas mitigation potential of biomass compared to the baseline of fossil energy has been acknowledged by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s foremost authority on climate change, provided that it is grown responsibly and used efficiently.
The forests of British Columbia are among the world’s most resilient and sustainably managed, subject to strict environmental regulation, meticulous management, and comprehensive third-party certification. The by-products of sawmills and related businesses are where the pellet sector gets an estimated 85% of its fibre.
Compared to other products, how do wood pellets compare?
While the residual debris is converted into biofuel, long-lasting wood products made from BC trees continue to store carbon. Reforestation, in which new trees are planted and grow to absorb additional carbon, keeps the cycle going. This makes woody biomass, like wood pellets, an all-natural substitute for energy sources that produce a lot of carbon dioxide.
In order to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the energy sector uses wood pellets more and more in place of fossil fuels on a global scale. For instance, a research at a power plant in the UK discovered that, even after taking into account fossil fuel emissions along the supply chain during harvesting, production, and transportation, wood pellets still reduce GHG emissions by more than 80% when compared to coal.
The Advantages of Using Wood Pellets
Source of renewable Energy
As an economical, clean alternative to fossil fuels, wood pellets release far less carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and other greenhouse gases. These types of renewable energy sources provide the most effective means to switch over to electricity produced from fossil fuels.
Low-cost Energy
Due to growing competition in the market and expanded production capacity for this type of stove, the price of pellet stoves has decreased over time. Due to the lack of power required, homeowners that use a pellet stove will pay less for heating.
Using this method is more cost-effective than using traditional fossil fuels, which only produce heat when an electrical source is available.
Eco-Friendly
Burning these energy sources produces less indoor pollution for a typical household than heating oil or natural gas. No smoke, ashes, sulphur dioxide, or airborne particles are released during the clean burn of wood pellet burners.
Carbon-Neutral
These pellets provide energy while lowering the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by using waste materials like sawdust from trees and agricultural byproducts. It is regarded as being carbon-neutral considering the total quantity of carbon dioxide released during combustion is equivalent to the amount absorbed by growing trees to generate the energy.
Conclusion
The cleaner-burning renewable fuel of choice is wood pellets. Compared to fossil fuels, they produce fewer air pollution, carbon dioxide, and greenhouse gases. They are produced as a byproduct of the sawmill process, which means they have little effect on deforestation. Only recycled wood debris is used in the process. It will take time for a significant switchover to pellet heaters to happen because manufacture is still quite complex.
