Market Assessment of a novel fluidized bed biomass torrefaction and densification technology

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More than 2 million tonnes wood pellets have been produced annually in East and West coast regions of Canada, which are mostly exported to Europe for replacing coal for co-firing in power plants and residential/district heating. The 2nd generation pellets, torrefied pellets, are produced from thermally pre-treated biomass, which have a higher energy density and hydrophobicity, making them more suitable for replacing coal completely in coal-based power plants, like those in Ontario and Alberta, and replacing coke in blast furnaces for iron/steel making. We have invented an integrated energy-efficient torrefaction and densification process for converting forest biomass residues to torrefied pellets using a novel fluidized bed torrefaction reactor and low-cost effective binders. A market assessment, however, is needed before technical and financial efforts are invested in scaling and demonstrating the proposed novel technology. In this I2I project, we will engage an external consulting firm to carry out a market assessment of the technology to identify market opportunities to guide future development work to provide the required performance deliverables and determine the most feasible path to market for the technology.