Fuel briquettes in the world

«It is possible to heat by bank notes», wrote in due time D.I. Mendeleev, meaning irrational use of oil as fuel. Search of alternative energy sources became one of the main problems of economically developed states. Using a waste, it is possible to save considerably power and a source of raw materials to reduce environmental contamination, and also to create a considerable quantity of additional workplaces.

Woodworking, chemical, agricultural production, peatery, polygraphic, food and textile industries waste can be transformed into high-quality fuel raw materials.

Fuel briquettes and granules are intended for burning in furnaces, fireplaces, hothouses, the railway transport, factory boiler-houses and thermal power station, on industrial plant where there are the installations working on firm fuel. Wood briquettes and granules also are used as technological raw materials at the hydrolytic and biochemical enterprises, for tannin manufacture on tanning - extraction factories.

Now electric power manufacture is based on use of not renewed energy sources - mainly hydrocarbons, such as gas, mineral oil, coal. On not renewed energy sources approximately 92 % world fuel - power balance totally are necessary, on renewed - nearby 3, 4 %.

The problem of alternative power technologies is very actual. One of the most popular directions of a steel «wood granules» or «pallet» is normalized cylindrical pressed product from a waste woodworking and residual wood, such as: a flour from work of the milling - detachable machine tool, a shaving and the rests of wood and briquettes. Pallets and briquettes make exclusively from natural raw materials, without use of any additives and binding components. Use of fuel briquettes as alternative, non-polluting and effective kind of fuel, in our opinion, is rather perspective.

According to analysts the use of biofuel for energy development will grow in Europe from three tons to 12 million by 2010, and in 2020 will already make 21 million tons.

For today consumption of wood granules as fuel kind increases.

Abroad the most serious countries-manufacturers (together with consumers) pallets and briquettes are:

1. Europe – 3,0 million tons a year.

2. The USA about 2000 thousand tons a year

3. Germany about 100 thousand tons a year

4. Sweden about 650 thousand tons a year

5. Austria about 110 thousand tons a year

6. Canada about 110 thousand tons a year

7. Finland about 100 thousand tons a year

8. England about 10 thousand tons a year

9. Japan about 3 thousand tons a year

10. Denmark about 500 thousand tons a year

To Europe fuel granules have received the greatest distribution in Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Norway and Finland. Till 2001 consumption of this material here increased annually on 30 %. Demand for granules in Germany during the same period was satisfied on 9 %. Denmark began to receive half of all developed energy from the granulated wood fuel. More than 80 % of fuel granules consumed in Denmark are import. By some estimations Sweden can become the first European country it will be possible to pass which completely in 15 years to alternative kinds of energy.

Experts find national features of the fuel market in each country. If, for example, in Sweden where granules in the local market have appeared in 80th years, the attention is given to improvement of quality of the pressed biofuel and use for its manufacture of a corresponding waste of wood in Finland the direction on the maximum application for manufacturing of fuel of low-grade wood (a bark, tops of trees, needles, hungry wood etc. is taken). As a whole Finland receives today approximately 19 % of the electric power from burning of a waste of wood, and woodworking enterprises here are capable to provide to 60 % of the power requirements independently.

On researches of the Russian experts in marketing, the demand increase in Russia on this kind of production in the near future is expected. In Russia this market is already formed and soon will start to extend actively. It is connected by that fuel granules and briquettes are used for heating of cottages, and in Russia the middle class starts to get country habitation. Many already know that cottages can be heated by means of fireplaces, coppers on a wood waste, and are ready to buy this equipment. And in Europe a similar way of heating of houses – already a commonplace, and in all large supermarkets granules in packing of different volume are on sale. Interest in use of fuel briquettes and at the enterprises of the industry and housing and communal services Besides, grows.

In the market granules and briquettes of different quality are claimed: dark - with the big maintenance of a bark and light - the bark maintenance in which does not exceed 5 %. Consumers pay fuel granules not only for cost for weight of production, and by quantity of allocated thermal energy.

Wood granules are the standardized kind of fuel, therefore for them there are specifications. Many countries by this time have already accepted the quality standards of fuel briquettes and granules (tab. 1 see): in Germany specifications are called DIN (the German industrial standard). In Europe until recently used German standard DIN 51731 and the standard of Austria OENORM M 7135. In connection with arrival on the market of the low-grade wood granules made mainly abroad, since spring of 2002 of a granule in Germany receive new certificate DIN plus. This certificate has united German and Austrian standards.

For today of the Russian standards on pallets does not exist. Manufacturers’ pallets are guided by the western standards. In Europe also there is no uniform European standard on pallets, and in the different countries they considerably differ from each other.