25 MAY 2013

Residual biomass can be brought to market by converting it to biocarbon. The product can be utilized efficiently in existing power plants while reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Organic material into emissions-neutral biocarbon

A process, developed by a Finnish company Preseco, converts a variety of organic materials into emission-neutral biofuel with a superior energy value. Preseco has already opened it´s first biocarbon production plant in Finland and will deliver biocarbon technology in China.

The Preseco carboniser plant process is based on effective pyrolysis. Organic material is fed into the carboniser and is burned in dry distillation. The residence time in a carbonizer is approximately 10–20 minutes.

The process speed and the quality of the end product are dependent on the size of the incoming particles. The volumetric reduction is between 60 and 90 percent. The operation is continuous and thus highly energy-efficient.

The pyrolysis gas is burned to create energy for process and to reduce the odorous emissions. The process is flexible, and any variation in process temperatures results in a variation in the amounts of end product being produced.

The process is energy self-sufficient in heating energy. The amount of carbon in the end product varies with the raw material and pyrolysis temperature; the values for each mixture of materials must be calculated separately.

Fuel for existing power plants

Our carboniser plants make a use of existing, remotely located, biomass reserves. The already produced biomass can be brought to market by refining it to produce biocarbon and can be utilized efficiently in existing power plants without any modifications or new investments in power plant technology while reducing carbon dioxide emissions, says Mikko Kantero, managing director, Preseco Ltd.

“Materials with a high carbon content such as wood and straw will produce high-quality fuel, whereas materials with a lower carbon content will produce char fertilizer. At its best, the processes´ energy efficiency is 90 percent," Kantero adds.

Biocarbon in brief

Preseco carbonizer and Biocarbon™.

Raw materials may consists of:
* wood in any form;
* green waste, garden waste;
* all other type of organic material is possible, but need preliminary evaluation.

The end product is:
* high-quality biofuel;
* energy value equal to that of high-quality fossil coal;
* eligible for green certificates, carbon trade, etc;
* carbon capture, in a way that creates value;
* proven soil-improving value.

Biocarbon technology to China

The signing the MOU is part
of the Finland – China
Economic and Trade
Cooperation Forum. Mr.
Veikko Kantero, Chairman
of the Board, Preseco (r.).

In June 2009 Preseco signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Anneng Thermal Power Group Co., Ltd. to include establish a joint venture in the province of Hubei, China.

The Joint Venture is to build Preseco carboniser plants producing and selling biocarbon in China. The target for the joint venture is to be fully operational within the first quarter of year 2010.

The first stage of the MOU includes the construction of a Preseco carboniser demonstration plant. The capacity of the plant is approximately 16,000 tons of biocarbon a year which is equivalent to 15 megawatts.

In the second stage, the joint venture will independently build Preseco carboniser plants in the province.

The need for renewable carbon fuel for Anneng solely is over 1 million tons in a year, worth hundreds of millions of euros.