Moisture Measurement of Compressed Wood Pellets​

June 13, 2024

PROJECT: Wood Pellet Manufacturing

INDUSTRY: Energy, Renewables

LOCATION: Taupo, New Zealand

 

Moisture Measurement of Compressed Wood Pellets​

The Challenge

As a manufacturer of premium industrial compressed wood pellets, our customer’s end output serves as a sustainable and renewable energy source for manufacturers, government facilities, schools and homes.

To meet growing demand and fulfill a significant supply contract, they embarked on an expansion project to double their production capacity. This expansion was essential to enable their customer – a major food and beverage manufacturer – to transition from coal to wood pellets as a fuel source, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

A key challenge in this process was ensuring the moisture content of the wood pellets was accurately controlled during drying. Precise moisture control is essential for producing high-quality wood pellets that are efficient, environmentally friendly and reliable for use as a fuel source.

The Solution

The company’s previous setup included two online moisture measurement instruments, however, these were supplied by a European-based company with no local support, posing a challenge for timely maintenance and support.

To address this, a new solution from Moist-Tech was proposed. Sydney-based Moist-Tech offered the necessary application experience and was supported by the sales and service expertise of CSE-WAF staff.

The implementation of Moist-Tech’s advanced moisture measurement instruments promised more reliable and locally supported moisture control for the expanded production line. The solution provided highly accurate moisture readings and the ability to respond in real time to ensure optimal control over the process.

This not only optimised the pressing process by maintaining consistent moisture levels, it also ensured the wood pellets met the low emission criteria in terms of their moisture content.

The installation of these new instruments has enabled the manufacturer to have state-of-the-art moisture measurement systems in place for both of their pellet plants in New Zealand.