Biomass Boilers

Biomass boilers are heating systems that use organic materials, such as wood pellets, wood chips, or agricultural waste, to generate heat for buildings or industrial processes. These boilers operate similarly to conventional boilers, but instead of burning fossil fuels like oil or gas, they burn biomass materials.

Biomass boilers are an environmentally friendly option because they use renewable organic materials as fuel and help reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Biomass boilers offer several benefits, both practical and environmental. These include:

• Renewable Energy Source:
  Biomass is a renewable energy source, as it comes from organic materials such as wood, agricultural residues, or dedicated energy crops. Unlike finite fossil fuels, biomass can be continually replenished through sustainable forestry and agriculture practices.
• Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
  Biomass boilers produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuel-based boilers. While burning biomass does release carbon dioxide (CO2), the plants used for biomass absorb CO2 from the atmosphere during their growth, creating a closed carbon cycle. This results in lower net emissions and helps mitigate climate change.
• Waste Utilisation:
  Biomass boilers can utilise various types of organic waste materials, including wood chips, sawdust, agricultural residues, and even municipal solid waste. By converting these waste materials into energy, biomass boilers help reduce landfill usage and provide a sustainable solution for waste management.
• Energy Efficiency:
  Biomass boilers can achieve high levels of energy efficiency, especially when combined with modern technologies such as condensing heat exchangers and advanced control systems. This allows for optimal utilisation of the energy content in the biomass fuel, resulting in cost savings and reduced fuel consumption.
• Versatility:
  Biomass boilers are versatile and can be used for various applications, including space heating, hot water production, and industrial processes. They can be sized to meet specific heating requirements and integrated into existing heating systems with relative ease.
• Government Incentives:
  EECA’s Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry Fund (GIDI) has co-funding available for businesses wanting to switch from fossil fuels to low-carbon alternatives. Since 2020, the GIDI Fund has supported 12 businesses to switch from coal and gas to biomass boilers. To find out what funding may be available for your biomass boiler, check out  https://www.eeca.govt.nz/

Biomass boilers should be considered by a range of industries including:

• Food processing
• Wood processing
• Agriculture
• Greenhouses
• Manufacturing

Source: EECA.govt.nz

If you can answer yes, to at least some of these questions – a Biomass Boiler could be a good option for your business.

• Are you operating within 100km of a stable and sufficient biomass source to fuel your biomass boiler.
• Do you require an environmentally friendly alternative to an existing coal, natural gas, diesel, or LPG boiler.
• Is your electricity connection constrained or would it be costly or slow to upgrade? If so, a biomass boiler may be a better option than a heat pump or electrode boiler.
• Does your plant have a high load factor (boiler utilisation rate) and/or high peak loads (maximum operating heat demand), meaning that fuel costs need to be as low as possible.
• Is your existing coal boiler relatively new? Biomass boilers can be readily integrated into existing energy systems since the supply temperature and working fluid is generally identical to an equivalent coal or gas boiler.
• Do you have or need a multi-boiler site and are looking for a mix of different fuels (e.g. electric and biomass powered boilers) to give you greater energy security or flexibility?
• Do you have space to store (and keep dry) a sufficient supply of biomass to cover weekends and other transport issues?
• Do you require temperatures over 100°C? Biomass boilers are a good option for this vs below 100°C where electric heat pumps are more energy efficient.

Overall, biomass boilers offer a versatile and environmentally friendly heating solution for a wide range of industries, helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower energy costs, and limit the impacts on our environment.

If you’re interested in installing a biomass boiler for your plant or want to put in place a regular maintenance plan to ensure you maintain optimal efficiency, then give the EAS team a call today on 07 834 0505.

Photo source:  EECA.govt.nz