Characterization and feasibility of biomass fuel pellets made of Colombian timber, coconut and oil palm residues regarding European standards

Strong correlation between economic development, energy demand and fossil fuels utilization during last decades has caused some negative impacts worldwide, based on it, the renewable resources for energy production should be employed to mitigate these effects. Nowadays, biomass is one of the most prominent renewable sources, but factors such as low density and high moisture content are some drawbacks. In order to overcome these problems, some companies use different types of biomass to provide solid biofuels with higher energy density, mechanical resistance and standardized dimensions. Wood pellet industry has increased exponentially during last years, faster than timber industries; therefore, new raw materials should be evaluated to guarantee pellets demand in the near future. Some of them are agricultural residues. Colombia is a country with an interesting potential for biomass production because there is a rising generation of agricultural products. This work aims to assess main properties of Colombian timber industry residues, coconut shells and oil palm shells and compare the characteristics of pellets made from these raw materials with European standards. Pellets made from these feedstocks have an average density between 850 and 1025kg·m-3, low ash contents and heating values around 18000kJ·kg-1. Coconut shell pellets have low compression ratios and problems during pretreatment; whereas, sawdust, wood shavings and oil palm shell pellets proved to be an attractive opportunity for pellet industry development in Colombia.