Thai plant engineer makes high-energy biofuel on par with coal

yong · Post by **yong** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:56 pm

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Energy ... 4&si=44594

Thai plant engineer makes high-energy biofuel on par with coal
TTCL aims for $600 million in sales in 2030

Agricultural waste like corncobs and husks is turned into a high-energy biofuel at a TTCL plant.
YOHEI MURAMATSU, Nikkei staff writerJuly 27, 2022 05:13 JST

BANGKOK -- Thai engineering company TTCL has opened a plant to produce biomass fuel from agricultural waste like corncobs and husks as a greener alternative to coal in a country that still relies heavily on fossil fuels.

The facility in northern Thailand's Lampang Province uses a process known as torrefaction to produce a fuel with greater energy density than standard wood pellets. It is about on par with Indonesian coal, and also comparable in price under current market conditions, the company said.

These so-called black pellets can be burned alongside coal at power plants or factories using existing equipment with little modification. Biofuel is considered carbon neutral, as the plant matter it is made from absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows.

The facility, the cost of which is estimated in the millions of dollars, can make 7,500 tonnes of biofuel a year at present. Production is slated to go up to 75,000 tonnes annually next year. TTCL plans eventually to increase overall output to 2 million tonnes, including production outside Thailand.

TTCL will sell the pellets to local companies as well as Japanese businesses operating here, targeting $600 million in sales by 2030.

The biomass facility is part of a diversification effort by Bangkok-listed TTCL, which mainly builds petrochemical factories and power plants.

nemo · Post by **nemo** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 7:41 pm

Rice husk charcoal makes good pelletized fuel as well