Japan-based forest industry major, Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd has announced it has signed a joint research and development agreement with Phoenix Pulp and Paper Public Co. Ltd (PPPC), a core company of SCG Packaging’s Fibrous Business Chain in Thailand. The joint research includes the installation of a torrefied pellet demonstration facilities in Thailand using torrefaction technology along with the woody biomass resources that PPPC possesses. According to a statement, Nippon Paper Industries has decided to install an 8 000 tonne per annum demonstration facility in collaboration with PPPC citing superior water resistance and grindability of torrefied pellets along with increased energy density compared to conventional wood pellets. It will use the accumulated torrefaction technology and ultimately aim to commercialize it for market release.
The demonstration facilities will be installed on the premises of the mill of PPPC in northeast Thailand and use woody biomass from the company-contracted forest sites nearby. The facilities will begin production of torrefied pellets in spring 2017, with the plan being to ascertain the commercialisation by end of 2017 after a mixed combustion experiment with a pulverized coal boiler at Kushiro Mill, Hokkaido, Japan.
Nippon Paper Industries envisions installing commercial production facilities with an annual production capacity of 80 000 tonnes when commercialisation is achieved. It will also conduct market research in Asia with Mitsui & Co., Ltd while demonstration experiments are being conducted. Nippon Paper Industries will work to commercialise the process technology for stable production of torrefied pellets in order to expand the categories of the energy business it focuses on across the fuel supply to power generation value chain.
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