Biomass Fuel Drying 

Biomass fuel is only as valuable as its net calorific value at the point of combustion, and net calorific value is overwhelmingly determined by moisture content. A freshly chipped wood fuel with 50% moisture content has a net calorific value of approximately 8–9 MJ/kg; the same material dried to 15% moisture content delivers approximately 16–17 MJ/kg – nearly double the usable energy per kilogram. This moisture-energy relationship is the fundamental economic driver behind dedicated biomass fuel drying infrastructure at power generation facilities, industrial boiler installations, and district heating plants. Kerone Engineering Solutions designs and manufactures industrial biomass fuel drying systems principally rotary drum dryers and belt dryers that are specifically engineered for pre-combustion moisture reduction to levels that optimise combustion efficiency, reduce slagging and fouling in boiler tubes, lower flue gas heat losses, and improve the economics of biomass fuel contracts where payment is typically indexed to net calorific value.