Large Scale Supply and International Trading of Refined Biomass

The long-term world estimated bioenergy potential is huge. It could reach 3-10.75 Billion TOE/y for the year 2050. (Source: G-8 / Bioenergy partnership). Other optimistic estimations anticipate a potential as much as 23 billion TOE/y bioenergy, enclosing residues, wastes and energy crops (Source: Report: ISSN1654-9404/UPP sala Sweden, 2009). The major role will be played by solid lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks. In particular, the large amount of agricultural residues (0.8 billion TOE/y) and of Forestry residues (0,4 Billion TOE/y) may represent the first challenging (for its lower quality) but readily available resource that needs to be refined. In this paper pelletization and torrefaction processes for biomass agricultural residues refining and trading will be analysed. Especially pelletization treatment is now reaching a real large scale spreading in international trading. Humidity, air contact storage retention time, loss of volatile organic content are the main problems related to Agro-pellets long distances transport, large volume supply and long time storage activities. Direct torrefaction of pelletized agroresidues could represent a really attractive solution to avoid many problems for large scale supply and trading of refined biomasses.