[Bioconversion] Re: [Stoves] Grass Pellets

[Roger Samson]

Andrew, Russel and all

The best strategic opportunity with grass pellet burning in terms of the
energy market and the current state of technology development is with small
to medium sized commercial boilers. This equipment is friendlier to
moderately high ash fuels than the residential market stoves. My
recommendation is to focus on grass pellets and crop milling residue pellets
for displacing high value propane, natural gas and heating oil (Here in
Quebec we are even heating greenhouses with electricity). 

In terms of technology, the companies REAP-Canada has worked with directly
in Canadian government supported biomass combustion projects are:
Small commercial boilers: 
Grovewood Heat in Prince Edward Island contact vince court 902-672-2090 
There about 200 units of about 200kw in eastern NA

Residential pellet stoves: Dellpoint Technolgies, www.pelletstove.com
These are 12 kw units in the US and Canada and they have recently struck a
licensing arrangement for their technology with a major combustion appliance
company. This is the unit I have in my house and they have a 25 kw boiler
under development. 

The other companies that we are aware of in Canada that are burning crop
milling residues pellets or grains with medium sized commercial boilers are 

www.blueflamestoker.com
www.dekkerbrand.com
www.profab.org
all from Manitoba  


The large combustion units being used in Canada that can burn more difficult
fuels are imported from Europe: Vynche and Binder. 

As far as chlorine, my understanding is that it acts as a catalyst to make
the alkali species migration problem much worse. The good news is that
chlorine leaches readily with delayed harvesting and if we don't use KCL
fertilizer we have much less. 
 
I don't think we have the clinker problem licked with any combustion device
but now know which fuels we can burn and can't burn, and what technology is
being used rather successfully. 

It is rather exciting to see all the efforts that are now underway in grass
pellet and crop milling residue burning. I don't think there will be farm
state or province in North America without some project being developed by
the end of this year. 

Roger Samson
www.reap-canada.com