Construction of biocoal production plants using Thermya’s TORSPYD technology is progressing according to schedule in Spain and in the North of France with full scale production starting in 2011.
Thermya, a French engineering company and a leader in ‘biomass to energy conversion’ technologies, announces construction of three industrial biocoal production units using TORSPYD, the biomass torrefaction process developed by the company.
The plants, one of which will operate 24/7 on a continuous basis, will produce 20,000 tonnes of biocoal per year (2.5 tonnes per hour) from previously un-used local forestry residues. The biocoal production will supply neighbouring coal power plants which will allow them to reduce their consumption of fossil fuel and thereby, their CO2 footprint, thanks to the co-firing of biocoal with coal.
One unit is currently in construction on the site of Urnieta, in the Spanish Basque Country, under the supervision of Grupo Lantec, promoter and developer of the project. Thermya, who granted a TORSPYD license to Lantec’s subsidiary Idema, has been supporting Lantec with the process engineering aspects of the project and will continue to provide support and assistance until successful commissioning of the plant in a few months. “The commissioning of the plant is planned for the summer 2011”, said Román Monasterio, Managing Director of Grupo Lantec.
Thermya is also currently constructing two biocoal production units in Mazingarbe, in the North of France, for French company LMK Energy. LMK Energy awarded a contract to Thermya in January 2011 for the turn-key supply of two biomass torrefaction units with a total production capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year of biocoal.
The biocoal produced by the Mazingarbe torrefaction plant will be densified, in the form of pellets or briquettes, for supply to European power stations. “The construction phase started in March and we are progressing according to schedule with the operation of the first unit planned for the end of Q3”, declared Franck Lavarde, President and Managing Director of LMK Energy.
With these three TORSPYD biomass torrefaction units now well into the construction phase, Thermya confirms its technological and commercial leadership in the field of torrefaction. Hervé Chauvin, Thermya’s Managing Director, comments: “These contracts reinforce the relevance of our technology and, beyond that, mark the break-through of biocoal as a green fuel alternative to fossil coal.”