RDI projects
RDI projects
#savoniaAMK
Project Information |  |
| Name | Options and profitability of further processing of first thinnings of young forests to promote the use of biofuels |
| Start | 1.1.2026 |
| End | 31.12.2026 |
| Website | - |
| Status | Running |
| Contact | Petteri Heino |
| Description | Although pellet production in Finland has grown significantly in the 2000s (reaching 350,000 tonnes in 2023), domestic production has not been sufficient to meet local demand, that is why pellets imported from abroad have been needed alongside domestic production (140,000 tonnes in 2023). Before 2022, Finnish pellet production and consumption relied significantly on pellets imported from Russia. Because of the war between Russia and Ukraine pellet importation from Russia stopped completely. Russia's withdrawal from the market has increased the need for pellet imports from other European countries and even from North America. This has led to price increases and uncertainty in the market. In domestic production, pellets are mainly made from surpluses from the sawmill and wood products industry, but these raw materials are available in limited quantities and in increasing pellet production, attention must be paid to other possible raw materials, e.g. the unused energy wood potential of commercial forests. There are huge amounts of first thinnings left in the forests. With the help of JTF funding, the North Savo Vocational College is developing energy wood harvesting and education methods aiming to produce and transport first thinnings to the roadside at a competitive price. This project examines new processes by which first thinnings can be further processed into pellets and the profitability of these processes. The goal is to increase the Finnish production of biofuels and promote their use in large oil heating sites suitable for pellet heating. The focus of the design of the pelletizing line is to investigate alternative drying process conditions and the possibilities for utilizing available waste heat. In addition, the combustion of pellets made from first-thinnings is being studied to determine the development needs of burner technology. If the project results are positive, they can be directly applied in the planning of the implementation of a pilot project for a pelletizing line for first thinnings producing easy-to-use, inexpensive pellets. |
| Partners | Hankkeen tuloksia voivat hyödyntää bioenergia-alalla toimivat tahot (polttoaineen toimittajat lämpöyrittäjät, bioterminaalien toiminnasta vastaavat) sekä teknisiä laitteita ensiharvennuspuusta pelletin polttoon liittyvään toimitusketjuun valmistavat laitevalmistajat. Hanke toteutetaankin laajassa yhteistyössä näiden tahojen kanssa. Mukana hanketta ohjaamassa ja rahoittamassa ovat seuraavat tahot:
- Konepaja KHM Steel Oy - Konepaja M. Pappinen Oy - Energiapalvelu Väisänen Oy - Konepalvelu Putro Oy - BioPower Oy (perusteilla oleva yritys) - Sähköurakointi Sutinen ky - Keski-Savon Jätehuolto LLKY - Joroisten kunta - Lapinlahti kunta |
| Funded by | JTF FR 7% 2021-27 palkkojen yksikkökust.malli |