[Stoves] Existing Biomass Briquette Technology

[Thomas Reed]

Dear Imraan Mit:

We too have an efficient, but not so inexpensive briquette industry in 
the US making logs for fireplaces, (sometimes with wax added, typically 
$1 each), sawdust pellets for pellet stoves (which heat very 
efficiently, $5 for a 40 lb bag) and charcoal briquettes for barbecue 
($3 for a 20 lb bag). 

There is also a great deal of experimenting going on at the stove 
website, <STOVES at LISTSERV.REPP.ORG>, using paper etc. to make logs and 
fireballs at a smaller scale. 

We would be pleased if you could visit the website and comment on all of 
the experimental work through your commercial eyes and from the 
viewpoint of India, where much of the new methods could be useful.  Then 
tell us what you are making commercially and we can tell you more about 
the commercial aspects here.

We publish 26 books on biomass at www.woodgas.com and one, "Densified 
Biomass:  A New Form of Solid Fuel", has a great deal of both the 
commercial and scientific aspects of gasification (even though we wrote 
it 28 years ago.  I am a firm believer that if biomass is to be an 
important fuel as cheap oil disappears, it will usually have to be 
processed as some cost.  (But oil refineries cost billions of dollars.) 

Yours truly,

Dr. Thomas Reed         President     THE BIOMASS ENERGY FOUNDATIO
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Imraan Mir wrote:
> Mr. Reed:
>  
> My business associates in India are successfully employing an 
> efficient, inexpensive biomass briquette production technology and 
> supplying industrial users in India with such briquettes for use in 
> solid fuel and dual-fuel boilers.  We are hoping to bring their 
> successful technology to the U.S. and start the domestic U.S. 
> production and supply of biomass briquettes for industrial customers. 
>  
> We have been trying uncsuccessfully to understand the market for 
> biomass briquettes in the U.S.  Can you provide any information, 
> resources or references that might help us understand the current and 
> projected market for biomass briquettes in the U.S.?  Do you have any 
> information on this industry and the industrial/geographic profile of 
> current/potential customers?
>  
> Any information would be very much appreciated. 
>  
> With regards,
> Imraan Mir
> New York, New York
>
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